Yesterday, Founder-President of the Well-being Foundation Africa, Toyin Ojora- Saraki delivered the keynote speech during the Women Pre-Conference of the 4th Nigeria Family Planning Conference at the Centre for Women Development in Abuja, themed, “Women and Family Planning in Nigeria: A critical Requirement for Harnessing Demographic Dividend for Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).”

Mrs Saraki started her speech by emphasizing the importance of family planning for women and how its benefits go beyond women and mothers.

”A woman’s ability to choose if and when she becomes pregnant has a direct impact on her health, well-being and life prospects. Through family planning solutions, couples can prevent closely spaced births and ill-timed pregnancies, which contribute to maternal health complications and some of the world’s highest infant mortality rates.

It is important that family planning contraception is widely available and easily accessible to every woman. At WBFA, we recommend a 1000 day birth spacing which leads to better health and life prospects for both mother and child.

Ahead of the launch of FP2020 annual progress report, join today’s.”

She continued:

”Family planning is more than contraception. It means much more than the avoidance or delay of pregnancy or childbearing. Family planning has been adjudged as one of the most positively impactful interventions in human and societal development. It is an enabler – an empowerment approach.

Women are key if we want to achieve the demographic dividend that comes with an interplay of reduced total fertility rate (TFR), an expanded base of the working-age population, and improved educational, infrastructural and healthcare investments. This holds true anywhere in the world, including low-income and high-income countries.

In developing policies and programming of family planning, the voices and sensitivities of the women need to be considered. Without speaking with the women of Nigeria and learning what they need, we are again deciding for them and not providing what they need.”

Mrs. Saraki, wife of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, who promotes midwifery globally as International Confederation Of Midwives” Global Goodwill Ambassador concluded with a pledge to utilize her new position as the United Nations Populations Fund (UNFPA) Family Planning Champion in Nigeria to advance family planning in Nigeria.

Source: Toyin Saraki Instagram