Cross River State has taken a major step toward strengthening reproductive health services as the United Nations Population Fund delivered a large consignment of family planning commodities to the state following the release of ₦22 million in counterpart funding by the government.
The supplies, handed over to the Cross River State Government, include 936 units of Implanon NXT implants and 118,656 male condoms, marking a significant boost to family planning services across the state. The procurement followed the state’s timely payment of about 25 per cent of its total financial commitment to reproductive health logistics.
With the development, Cross River has joined a growing list of Nigerian states now funding the procurement of family planning commodities from their own resources, a move widely seen as a shift toward sustainability in reproductive health financing.
Speaking during the handover, the Head of Office and Programme Coordinator of UNFPA in Cross River State, Dr Andrew Kirima, described the delivery as a direct outcome of effective domestic resource mobilisation by the state government. He praised the administration for releasing its counterpart funding on schedule, noting that the step placed Cross River among states that have successfully domesticated the national policy on reproductive health financing.
Dr Kirima said the partnership with the state government demonstrated a shared commitment to improving access to family planning services and ensuring that women and families are empowered to make informed reproductive health choices.
Receiving the commodities on behalf of the state government, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Henry Egbe Ayuk, said the consignment represented a major milestone in the effort to strengthen maternal and child health outcomes in Cross River. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to expanding access to quality reproductive health services across all communities.
According to him, the official handover signalled the state’s readiness to immediately distribute the commodities to primary and secondary health facilities in all 18 local government areas, ensuring timely access for residents who need them.
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The State Family Planning Coordinator, Mrs Katame Triumph, described the arrival of the supplies as a landmark moment in Cross River’s reproductive health journey, saying it would significantly improve service delivery and reduce stock-outs at health facilities.
Also speaking, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Nursing Education, Mrs Uduak Spencer Efem, stressed the importance of skilled health workers in maximising the impact of family planning services, noting that proper training and deployment of nurses would help ensure effective utilisation of the commodities.
The latest delivery is expected to enhance access to modern contraceptives, support population health goals, and reinforce Cross River State’s position as a leading example of sub-national commitment to sustainable reproductive health financing in Nigeria
