Strategies for Accelerating Family Planning Progress: Are There Lessons That Nigeria Could Learn from Malawi?

Jacob Adetunji, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)

Although Malawi’s programming context was hostile to family planning up to the early 1990s, its CPR has increased rapidly and has overtaken those of early champion countries such as Kenya. By contrast, despite its long history and auspicious FP environment, CPR in Nigeria has remained stagnant at low levels. This paper uses DHS and program data to investigate factors that probably contributed to Malawi’s stellar success, assess its strategies, and distill from them lessons that can be adapted to accelerate FP progress in Nigeria. The analysis showed stack differences in CPR patterns and trends, equity, source of methods, and demand for FP. Key factors in Malawi's success include its adoption of multi-channel, evolving and culturally-acceptable demand-generation approaches; initial integration of FP with MCH program, progressive modification of its client-focuses strategies, policies, methods and partnerships; high political commitment; broad-based and equitable access; and staffing support. The lessons for Nigeria's FP program are identified and discussed.