Family Planning uptake surges as many throng TCI, LASG’s organised Mobile Outreach at Boundary Market …Blind woman presents 15yrs old daughter, mother of one, for FP

Not quite many before now understood the great work being done by the Challenge Initiative (TCI) in ensuring demand generation for family planning uptake in Lagos State and other states in Nigeria.

The four day Mobile Outreach organised by TCI and the Lagos State Government at the Boundary Market,  Ajegunle  in Ajeromi Ifelodun Local Government, which ended on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, brought to the fore how receptive the  the people have been to the efforts being made by the Lagos State Government and her partner, The Challenge Initiative (TCI) towards family planning uptake in the state.

Women of reproductive age throng the stand of TCI at the market to receive one family planning method or the other.

At a point hell was literally let loose when a blind mother led her 15 years old daughter mother of one and presented her for family planning having gotten tired of ceaseless abortion on her.

Omodeji Omotunde Mojifat, the Chief Nursing Officer for Ajeromi  Local Government Area and also the Family Planning Manager for the local government too  explained the purpose of the outreach and the people’s response, “This family planning outreach at the boundary market, we are here to talk to the people about family planning, the different methods that we have, and we render the service to them too.

“We have different methods we offer them today, we are giving condom for both men and women, we give them injectable.

She agreed that unwanted pregnancy is high in Ajeromi Ifelodun, but however revealed that the level of sensitisation in the community about family planning is also high leading to  more women seeking the services of family planning in the local government. She commended TCI for their wonderful collaboration with the state government on family planning update. “TCI are really trying their best in collaboration with Lagos State. They sponsor our in-reaches and outreaches,  they have mobilizers who go to the people, talk to them , direct them to the nearest family planning facilities.

“A lot of women find it difficult to come to the facility that is why we are in the market , even at that many still find it difficult to leave their market to visit our stand. We still need more sensitisation, more counseling, and more family planning education, because we still have women and men who lack the knowledge of family planning in these local Government,” she stated.

With an estimated population of 1.5m people, more people were expected to come forward for the family planning services,  Mrs Anochirionye Ngozi Iruaku, a nurse, threw more light. “We have seen a lot of patients, many of them were not aware of family planning, many of them have expressed happiness and they have been coming. I joined them the second day and we attended to about 112, and today, the day is still young, and we have attended to close to 30 or more than that. Some said they are going to call their yard people to come and receive the services. Many say they are coming to tell their church people, neighbors and friends, many wish we could stay in the market forever, but we are also referring them to where they can get the service after today.”

Olayinka Diode, TCI mobilizer, “We are for demand generation, we do sensitisation and creation of awareness for family planning. We make people to understand the importance of family planning. Many people have wrong notion about family planning but we make them to know the advantages of and for them to stop listening to side talks regarding family planning rather they should come to the facility for proper guidance. We see children of 13,14 years that are already pregnant, yesterday we had two girls, 16 and 17, they already have one child apiece, we counselled them to take up a method instead of abortion and they did.”

She also admitted that traditional methods are predominantly patronized in the local government but added that as mobilizers they advise the natives to seek modern family planning method which is more scientifically proven.

Kudirat Adenike Akeje, the Service Delivery Consultant for Ajeromi Local Government Areasaod “We are conducting Mobil Outreach here in Ajeromi, and today is the fourth day. Women and girls, they are coming and the most encouraging is that many are taking the implanol, the one that lasts for three years. Some also prefer the Sayana Press, the injectable and we also counsel them on IUCD which is inserted inside their organ but none has shown interest in that, even in the health center, they don’t like to do it but they prefer the injectable and implant.

“In our facility even the prostitutes come for family planning and after administering the method we also advise them to go with condom to protect themselves from sexually transmitted diseases,” she stated.

A young lady Bumi  who took the injectable said she was tired of having children, “I have born five children and I am the only one taking care of them, their school, their feeding, I don’t want to born again. My first child is fifteen years now and the last one is three years. Though this is not the first time, I always take three months injection.” She was asked to  spread the good news to her neighbors, religious groups, about the advantages of family planning.