Earlier this month, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Health, Dr Olorunnimbe Mamora, said that more widespread use of family planning can reduce maternal deaths by 30 percent, saving the lives of about 18,000 women every year.

The Minister called for increased investment in family planning services and reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to increase modern contraceptive use to 27 percent by 2024. Minister Mamora further stressed that men need to be involved in family planning discussions, which I discussed in my recent article about the dangers caused by social taboos around contraception.