… Close-Out IFPLAN project in Kaduna State
Federal Government in collaboration with Kaduna State Ministry of Health, Sightsavers Nigeria and the British Broadcasting Corporation Media Action, BBCMA, have reaffirmed commitment and strategised to provide inclusive family planning services especially to Persons With Disabilities, PWDs, towards advancing equitable family planning initiatives in the country.
The Government disclosed this yesterday during the Close-Out ceremony of the five-year Inclusive Family Planning project held in Abuja.
The IFPLAN project, funded by UK Aid and implemented by a consortium led by Sightsavers and other implementing partners, including BBC Media Action, the Programme for Evidence to Inform Disability Action, the Network of Women with Disabilities, and the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities.
The project was designed to increase knowledge and uptake of family planning among PWD, while strengthening service providers and disability organisations to support an inclusive health system.
Over its implementation period, the project reached 1,912 PWD people with disabilities in 18 communities with social and behaviour-change interventions.
The project provided family planning information to 544,759 people with disabilities through radio, digital platforms, and community engagement.
It also reached over 3 million PWDs with stigma-reduction messages; conducted accessibility audits in 24 health facilities; supported 23 facilities with accessibility upgrades; and trained 1,500 healthcare providers, among others.
Speaking during the event, Special Adviser to the President on Health, Dr. Salma Ibrahim-Anas, noted that the initiative was a model for disability inclusion and a key contributor to the Federal Government’s Renewed Health Agenda.
Ibrahim-Anas, represented by Dr. Fatima Jibrilla, commended the project’s partners for what she described as a powerful demonstration of inclusive development.
She said, “The main achievement of the IFPLAN project is not just a technical milestone, it is proof of inclusive development and a great example of what we can accomplish when we commit to leaving no one behind.
“This project’s success aligns perfectly with the Renewed Health Agenda of this administration.
“Our goal is clear, it is to ensure every Nigerian, regardless of socioeconomic status, geographic location, or physical ability, has equal access to healthcare services.
“The Renewed Health Agenda builds the health of our women and girls not merely as a clinical issue but as a direct practice for national development and economic prosperity.
“Family planning in this context is not seen as an afterthought; it is a critical, prospective pillar of our public health strategy.
“We acknowledge the complex needs of modern contraceptive use, and we must actively expand our coverage based on what we know is achievable by getting to know and ensuring that we meet all the contraceptive needs of women, regardless of their socioeconomic and ability status.
“The IFPLAN project has offered us invaluable lessons, proving that inclusive and tailored approaches are necessary.”
She stressed the need to dismantle barriers to access by addressing the physical, attitudinal, and communication barriers that prevent persons with disabilities from accessing essential services.
“The success in Kaduna State shows that targeted training of health workers and the provision of accessible information can bridge this gap.
“We must also institutionalise value by ensuring that sustainability plans being discussed today move beyond paper,” she added.
She highlighted the need for sustainability plans to guide the government’s transition into a long-term effort to scale the project’s lessons nationwide.
Also, Country Director, Sightsavers Nigeria, Prof. Joy Shuai’bu emphasised that the IFPLAN project proved that when inclusion was intentional, it creates real impact for women and girls with disabilities.
Shuai’bu highlighted that empowering healthcare workers with the right knowledge was one of the most sustainable investments of the project.
She noted, “When you empower someone with education and knowledge, it stays with them forever. So, we wanted to make sure that the healthcare providers are comfortable providing services for persons with disabilities.
“One of the things we did on this project was to provide knowledge to ensure that they know what to do.”
She stressed that it was the responsibility of the government to look after every citizen and provide access to adequate health care to every citizen of this country.
She also stressed that the next phase must focus on institutionalising disability inclusion in health policies and ensuring that persons with disabilities remain actively involved in shaping future programmes.
“What we have tried to do is to demonstrate to you that inclusive programming, especially in terms of sexual and reproductive healthcare, is possible.
“I want to guarantee you that if you need any support of any kind in terms of technical support, please come to us, we will be willing to share.
“Ultimately, we want to create a country, a society, where persons with disabilities have equal access to healthcare, education, and livelihood,” she said.
Highlighting Sightsavers roles in the IFPLAN project she said that the organization factored a lot of its investment on the training of Healthcare workers in the community to enable them provide quality services to PWDs.
“When you empower someone with education and knowledge, it stays with them forever. So we wanted to make sure that the health care providers are comfortable with providing services for persons with disabilities. And so one of the things we did on this project was to provide that knowledge to ensure that they know the essence of the project. We also know that our donors have infinite resources. And so we tried to do the best that we could do to strengthen the existing health system so that we can take it from there,” the Country Director explained.
She added that Sightsavers engaged in advocacy especially for women with disabilities as it was their right to be heard, have access to adequate and quality healthcare services saying that, “When you deny persons with disability from accessing sexual reproductive health care services, you deny them their right. And so we start with them, to give them a voice, to fight for themselves.”
In his message, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Special Needs and Equal Opportunities, Mohammed Isa, described the project as a transformational intervention that expanded reproductive health access for women and girls with disabilities across Kaduna State.
Isa emphasised the need for stronger government coordination in future disability-focused projects.
He reaffirmed the government’s readiness to collaborate more strategically with development partners as efforts shift toward expanding disability-inclusive family planning nationwide.
“Let us continue to push for a Nigeria where no woman, no girl, and no person with a disability is denied the right to make informed choices about their own body and their own future,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Kaduna State Commissioner of Health, Hajiya Umma Kaltume Ahmed pointed out that the IFPLAN placed strong emphasis on inclusive healthcare delivery and the well-being of every Nigerian — including persons with disabilities — without leaving anyone behind.
Ahmed said that the ceremony was a celebration of impact, transformation, and dignity restored to women, girls with disabilities who now have better access to reproductive health services because of this initiative noting that the project has provided a strong model for inclusive healthcare interventions in Nigeria.
She stated that the IFPLAN project has brought full and timeless progress to countless families in the State by ensuring that persons with disabilities have equitable access to family planning services.
The Commissioner said that the initiative has not only advanced the project, but also strengthened the values of inclusion, dignity and human rights noting that these achievements will remain a cornerstone in the collective journey towards universal health coverage.
She emphasised the commitment of the State government in championing inclusive governance and people-centered development saying that under the leadership of the State Governor, Uba Sani, health reforms, expanded access to primary health care and strengthened partnership with development agencies have been prioritized.
“In Kaduna State, we firmly believe that no one should be left behind, regardless of ability or circumstances,” she reaffirmed saying that the State government has demonstrated this through increased budgetary allocation to health.
“We have been able to sustain the 15 percent declaration of State’s budget to the health sector. We have made progression in the 2026 budget. There is a budget line for this project.
“As we celebrate the Close-Out we must also look to the future. Sustainability is not just a work, it is a responsibility. The Ministry of Health will continue to integrate inclusive family planning services into our health system.
“We will strengthen collaboration with partners, we will build capacity among health workers, and ensure that the voices of persons with disability remain central in policy and practice,” she restated.
