The Federal Government has inaugurated a High-Level Inter-Ministerial Platform on Family Planning, Health, Human Capital and National Development to strengthen coordination among government institutions and harness Nigeria’s youthful population for sustainable development.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, who inaugurated the platform in Abuja on Friday, said Nigeria’s estimated 230 million population remained the country’s greatest asset but warned that it could become a liability without deliberate investment in human capital.
Pate said the country’s rapidly growing population, which is projected to reach between 450 million and 500 million by 2050, required urgent investments in health, education, skills development, empowerment and productivity.
He said the government must ensure that the growing population was healthy, educated, skilled and economically productive enough to contribute to national growth.
According to him, the platform was established within the broader vision of President Bola Tinubu for a prosperous, peaceful and people-centred Nigeria.
“Nigeria’s population remains our greatest asset,” Pate said, stressing that the demographic trend could become either a major economic advantage or a liability depending on the investments made in the people.
He explained that the platform would adopt a life-course approach, bringing relevant government institutions together to address the needs of Nigerians from adolescence through adulthood, parenthood and old age.
Pate said the participating institutions had clearly defined responsibilities towards achieving the objectives of the initiative.
He said the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare would focus on strengthening health systems, improving access to essential services, promoting equity and advancing health and social welfare outcomes.
The Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, he added, would drive national development planning, human capital investment and efficient resource allocation, while the Ministry of Finance would create the fiscal environment required to translate investments in health and other social sectors into productivity and economic growth.
Pate also identified the Ministries of Women Affairs, Education and Youth Development as critical partners, noting that reproductive health, girls’ education, youth empowerment and access to health information were interconnected components of human capital development.
He identified the National Population Commission as a key partner in population planning, monitoring fertility trends, preparing demographic projections and supporting efforts to harness Nigeria’s demographic dividend.
Family planning, primary healthcare
The minister stressed the importance of strengthening primary healthcare and ensuring the availability of essential maternal, newborn and child health services.
He said reducing child mortality was closely linked to fertility decisions and the ability of families to plan their desired family size.
Pate also called for a stronger role for the National Orientation Agency in promoting public awareness, building community trust, encouraging citizen engagement and tackling misinformation capable of undermining health and development interventions.
The minister further announced progress towards domestic production of family planning commodities, describing the development as an important milestone for Nigeria and the wider sub-Saharan African region.
According to him, local production would reduce the country’s dependence on imported commodities, create employment opportunities for young Nigerians and generate economic value within the country.
Pate said the success of the platform would require a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach involving the Federal, state and local governments, civil society organisations, the private sector and development partners.
He stressed that the platform must move beyond meetings and discussions to deliver concrete and measurable actions, particularly improved financing and implementation at the subnational level.
“The platform must move beyond meetings and discussions to deliver concrete and measurable actions,” the minister said.
Pate noted that the National Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative already provided a framework for collaboration with the 36 states, local governments and development partners.
He said the new platform would strengthen coordination around family planning and broader human capital priorities.
The minister also welcomed recent improvements recorded in Nigeria’s Mini-Demographic and Health Survey but cautioned that the progress represented only the beginning of the work required.
He called for sustained commitment to the release of appropriated funds and urged state governments to complement Federal Government efforts with increased investments in health, family planning and human capital development.
Pate expressed confidence that coordinated action across government would accelerate progress towards a healthier, more productive and prosperous Nigeria.
Family planning not health sector responsibility alone — Damiba
Also speaking at the inauguration, the Managing Director, FP2030 West and Central Africa Office, Dr Alain Damiba, commended the Federal Government for establishing the platform, describing it as a significant step towards placing collaboration, accountability and evidence-based decision-making at the centre of Nigeria’s human capital agenda.
Damiba said family planning and health should not be regarded as the sole responsibility of the health sector, stressing that both were critical components of national development and required coordinated action across government.
He noted that empowering women and young people to make informed and voluntary decisions about their reproductive health would produce benefits beyond improved health outcomes, including better educational opportunities, increased economic productivity and improved wellbeing for families and communities.
“Health, including family planning, is a smart investment in human capital and Nigeria’s future,” Damiba said.
He said FP2030 viewed the platform as more than a coordination mechanism, explaining that it would provide an opportunity for ministries to establish shared outcomes, strengthen accountability, track progress and collectively address challenges affecting Nigeria’s human capital development.
Platform will strengthen inter-ministerial collaboration — Kachollom
In her welcome address, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Daju Kachollom S. mni, said improving the health and wellbeing of Nigerians required coordinated action across sectors, including population, education, finance, women affairs, economic planning and social protection.
Represented by the Director of Family Health in the ministry, Dr Ahmad Muhammad Ozi, Kachollom said achieving better health outcomes required coordinated policies, aligned investments, effective partnerships and shared accountability among Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
She said the platform provided an opportunity to deepen understanding of the links between family planning, health-system strengthening, maternal and newborn health, human capital development and sustainable national development.
Kachollom urged members of the platform to focus on practical and measurable actions capable of strengthening collaboration and partnerships among relevant government institutions.
“Let us use this platform to move beyond discussions to concrete, coordinated and measurable actions. Let us leave this meeting with a renewed commitment to collaboration, shared responsibility and collective action towards achieving our national development aspirations,” she said.
Stakeholders from the Ministries of Youth Development, Women Affairs and Social Development, Finance, and Budget and Economic Planning, as well as the National Population Commission, National Primary Health Care Development Agency and civil society organisations, pledged their support for the newly inaugurated Nigeria FP2030 High-Level Inter-Ministerial Platform.
The stakeholders stressed that family planning was central to improving maternal and child health, empowering women and young people, strengthening household resilience and developing human capital.
They also pledged continued collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and FP2030 to ensure that the platform translates its commitments into measurable results for Nigerians.
