According to a report released by the African Media Agency (AMA) on November 2018, the number of users of modern contraception in Nigeria since 2012 was estimated to have increased by nothing less than 1.7 million additional users, as the government works to expand family planning services.

The report shows modern methods of contraception have prevented over 2 million unintended pregnancies and 735,000 unsafe abortions over the last one year.

Despite this progress, still only 13.8% of women aged 15-49 are using modern contraception in Nigeria. In contrast however, women and girls more than ever before are making the voluntary choice to use contraception in the world’s 69 lowest-income countries.

Contraceptives lie at the heart of proper family planning. Family planning is a crucial in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. It is therefore a key factor in addressing several development needs.

Proper use of contraceptives can help prevent unplanned and high risk pregnancies and unsafe abortions that often lead to the deaths of mothers or babies or both. It also helps in managing population growth.

Contraception help couples to consciously decide whether they want to have children, when they want to have children, when to stop having children and also enable them manage the space in between having children.

The biggest contributor to the low uptake has been a lack of knowledge about the various available options, combined with misconceptions about the use of contraceptives.

Reports however shows that the use of contraceptive in Nigeria is still extremely low as a lot of misconceptions still surround its use in the country. It is therefore not difficult to see why the country’s population has continued to increase over time.

Without doubt, contraception helps in preventing several unplanned pregnancies and abortions help reduce maternal death. It is therefore not to be ignored at this time and age.