By Onwa Ekor
In its commitment to improve maternal and child health outcomes across the state, Cross River government has received a large consignment of Family Planning (FP) commodities.
This follows the state government’s timely release of ₦22 million as counterpart funding, about 25 per cent of its total financial commitment to reproductive health logistics.
The commodities procured through the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), were formally handed over to the State Ministry of Health in Calabar, Wednesday.
Receiving the commodities on behalf of the Cross River government, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Henry Ayuk, commended the governor, Prince Bassey Otu, for prioritising maternal and reproductive health through the timely release of counterpart funding.
“I am pleased to inform you that the family planning commodities procured last year by our ‘Sweet Governor’ through UNFPA arrived at the state warehouse in December 2025 in good condition,” Ayuk said, pointing out that, “with this official handover, we are now fully prepared to commence the immediate deployment of these commodities to primary and secondary health facilities across all 18 local government areas of the state.”
Head of Office and Programme Coordinator of UNFPA in Cross River, Dr. Andrew Kirima, described the handover as a clear outcome of effective domestic resource mobilisation by the state government.
He affirmed the delivery of 936 units of Implanon NXT and 118,656 male condoms, noting that Cross River has joined the growing number of states in Nigeria that now fund the procurement of family planning commodities from their own resources.
“I am particularly happy that the state was able to release its counterpart funding, a development which places Cross River among states that have successfully domesticated this policy.
“We thank Otu for making this a reality and for ensuring that these life-saving commodities reach the people who need them most,” Kirima said.
Special Adviser to the Cross River governor on Nursing Education, Mrs. Uduak Efem, highlighted the critical role of skilled health workers in maximizing the impact of family planning services.
“Family planning is the most effective protection against maternal mortality.
“Availability of commodities must go hand in hand with professional service delivery as Nursing education remains central to this effort, and we are committed to ensuring that nurses across the state are well trained to deliver these services competently,” Efem stated.
Also speaking, the State Family Planning Coordinator, Mrs. Katame Triumph, expressed satisfaction with the arrival of the commodities, describing it as a milestone in the state’s reproductive health journey.
“This is a great day for Cross River,” she said, maintaining that “we have worked diligently towards this moment, and our focus now is to ensure that these commodities reach the last mile, especially women and families in our rural and hard-to-reach communities.”
The event attended by senior officials of the Ministry of Health, members of the state family planning unit, and representatives of UNFPA, saw attendees reaffirming their commitment to effective utilisation and equitable distribution of the commodities.
Highlight of the event was the formal adoption of a distribution roadmap, paving the way for the immediate movement of the family planning commodities to health facilities across the 18 local government areas.
