AN ASSESSMENT OF FAMILY PLANNING COMMUNICATION APPROACHES IN NIGERIAN URBAN REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH INITIATIVE (NURHI) IN KADUNA, NIGERIA

AN ASSESSMENT OF FAMILY PLANNING COMMUNICATION APPROACHES IN NIGERIAN URBAN REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH INITIATIVE (NURHI) IN KADUNA, NIGERIA

Abstract:

The low rate of adoption of modern family methods has long been a bone of contention in Nigeria and especially resisted in Northern Nigeria. Despite huge sums of monies expended in order to enlighten the populace on the need for family planning, the use and access of family planning services has remained relatively low. This apathy by the populace is not unconnected to the fact that the communication approaches that were used have not answered nor conformed to the people‟s cultural and religious beliefs. Furthermore, the people‟s opinions were not sought. The method of the flow of communication was one-dimensional: top to bottom. The Nigerian Urban Reproductive Health Initiative (NURHI) is an organization that aims to increase the demand for modern family planning methods. In order to achieve this, the organization embarked upon a systematic and strategic means of communication. This study therefore sought to review NURHI‟s communication approaches via the use of the Questionnaire, Focus Group Discussion and In Depth Interview with the view to assess the success and or otherwise of the communication approaches and also bring to the fore the need for participatory communication that can lead to sustainable development. One of the findings of this research was the need for intensified participatory communication approaches and not only the use of media as means of communication. This is because, the fear of side effects of modern family planning methods, the need to nurture children and cultural and religious biases are still barriers to accessing modern family planning methods. Thus there is a need for an unconventional approach to attaining sustainable development.

AN ASSESSMENT OF FAMILY PLANNING COMMUNICATION APPROACHES IN NIGERIAN URBAN REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH INITIATIVE (NURHI) IN KADUNA, NIGERIA