Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim

A coalition of civil society organisations, government officials, and media practitioners under the Kano State Led Accountability Mechanism (KanSLAM) has identified inadequate family planning as a major factor responsible for the high rate of maternal and child mortality in Kano State.

KANO FOCUS reports that the coalition made this known on Thursday during a media parley on the prevention of maternal and child mortality held at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Press Centre in Kano.

Cross section of participants

KanSLAM expressed concern that Kano remains one of the states with the highest maternal and child mortality rates in Nigeria, attributing the trend largely to limited access to family planning services, particularly in rural communities.

The group also called on the government to ensure transparency and accountability in the utilisation of funds allocated for the procurement of maternal and child health consumables. It lamented that significant portions of annual budgets are often not effectively utilised for their intended purposes, raising concerns about possible mismanagement and corruption.

Speaking at the event, the Co-chair of KanSLAM, Pharm. Maimuna Yakubu Muhammad, emphasised the critical role of the media in addressing maternal and child mortality through advocacy and public enlightenment.

Pharm. Maimuna Yakubu Muhammad

She urged media organisations to leverage various platforms, including television, radio, newspapers, and digital outlets, to raise awareness about the benefits of family planning and the risks associated with its neglect.

According to her, the media can also help by sharing success stories of women who have benefited from family planning services, addressing misconceptions, and amplifying the voices of healthcare providers and community leaders.

“When women have access to family planning, they can space pregnancies, avoid unintended pregnancies, and access proper healthcare. This leads to reduced complications, fewer unsafe abortions, and better outcomes for both mothers and children,” she said.

Cross section of participants

She further called for improved access to affordable contraceptives, especially in rural areas, strengthening of healthcare services, and sustained community education to dispel myths surrounding family planning.

Maimuna noted that KanSLAM was established in line with international best practices to promote accountability in public resource management, adding that the coalition monitors budget releases and implementation while advising the government on improvements.

Also speaking, the Kano State Team Lead of Pathfinder International, Umar Ibrahim Gombe, said discussions on reducing maternal and neonatal deaths in Northern Nigeria remain crucial, describing such engagements as opportunities to assess government efforts and identify gaps.

Umar Ibrahim Gombe

Similarly, Sahnunu Madaki of the FCDO-supported Lafiya Project commended KanSLAM for organising the parley and pledged continued support for initiatives aimed at reducing maternal mortality in the state.

Sahnunu Madaki

Kano health sector hits 15% budget benchmark, faces funding gaps

Presenting analysis of Kano State’s health financing, Sulaiman Ismail has revealed that the government met the 15 per cent budget benchmark for the sector in 2026, in line with the Abuja Declaration, but significant gaps remain in funding critical services.

Sulaiman Ismail

The report, titled *Kano State MNCH, Reproductive Health and Family Planning Financing Analysis (2024–April 2026)*, examined allocations, releases, and utilisation of funds for maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH), reproductive health (RH), and family planning (FP).

He said findings showed that the health sector accounted for 13 per cent of the state budget in 2024, dropped slightly to 12 per cent in 2025, and rose to 15 per cent in 2026, marking a notable improvement.

Despite the increased allocation, Mr. Ismail highlighted inconsistencies in fund releases and low execution of capital projects, which continue to hinder effective service delivery.

Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim

He also noted that programmes such as MNCH, RH, and FP are largely embedded within primary healthcare services, making it difficult to track specific funding and assess impact.

The analysis further identified growing demographic pressure as a major challenge, with the population of women of reproductive age projected to reach between 3.4 million and 3.7 million by 2025–2026. This, it said, is outpacing available funding and putting additional strain on health services.

In terms of spending priorities, Mr. Ismail observed that more funds are allocated to recurrent expenditure and procurement, rather than direct service delivery.

Other challenges identified include inadequate funding for family planning and reproductive health programmes, lack of disaggregated data, limited access to information, and heavy reliance on donor support.

To address these issues, Mr Ismail recommended improved and timely release of funds, population-based budgeting to tackle maternal mortality, and the ring-fencing of MNCH, RH, and FP funds to enhance accountability.

He also called for the reinstatement of previous budget formats to improve citizen participation and transparency, as well as increased domestic funding to reduce donor dependency.

Stakeholders urged citizens and advocacy groups to intensify calls for increased investment in maternal and reproductive health services to improve outcomes across the state.

KANO FOCUS reports that KanSLAM is a coalition of civil society organisations, media groups, and government agencies working collaboratively to improve maternal and child health outcomes in Kano State through advocacy, transparency, and community engagement.