A leader in the market, said that considering the economic situation in the country today, one had to plan within his/her financial capability and not overdo things.

The Ifelodun Kajola Plank Market Leaders at the Ladipo Market, Amukoko, Lagos state, have urged women to embrace family planning in the face of economic hardship in Nigeria.

Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) during a family planning outreach by The Challenge Initiative (TCI) in collaboration with Development Network Communication (DEVCOMS), Muyibat Omoola, said that family planning was good.

Omoola, a leader in the market, said that considering the economic situation in the country today, one had to plan within his/her financial capability and not overdo things. She said that sex was good in marriage and it should be enjoyed without any form of hindrance or fear of expecting a baby soon.

However, she advised women not to quarrel with their husbands over sex but to embrace family planning to plan pregnancy, because the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

On his part, the male leader of the market- “Babaloja”, Ayelabowo Tajudeen, said that the free family planning outreach by TCI and DEVCOMS was a welcome development in the market and they were happy about it.

Tajudeen said that it was one of the expectations of the market leaders from health organisations and appealed that they should neither stop the outreach nor take a long time before coming back to the market.

“We have been hearing about family planning on radio and television but are happy to have physical contact with the officials.

“Before the arrival of TCI and DEVCOMS officials, announcements have been made around the market that there would be free family planning outreach.

“That was why you saw some women waiting before the commencement of the programme.

“No matter how old a person is, what you don’t know, you don’t know. So, it is important to enlighten our women on family planning rather than aborting babies,” he said.

Commenting, Modupe Folarin, TCI Health Consultant, said that the outreach was very smooth at the Pako Market. According to Folarin, there are different methods of family planning, both the short and long-term methods, which include injectables, implants and IUDs.

She said that TCI mobilisers were also on the ground to mobilise the women, including their husbands, to embrace family planning. She said that the turnout was very encouraging, especially from women of childbearing age.She also urged couples to embrace family planning methods noting that the decision involved both partners.

A 26-year-old satisfied user, Ajara Kareem, said that she was a new mother of one, and had been contemplating on how to space her children. Kareem said that when she heard about the outreach, she had to rush down to do the three-month injectable type.

She said that she opted for family planning because she had to plan her family and finances noting that training a child in present-day Nigeria was a huge task.

Another, satisfied user, Karimat Usman, a mother of four, said that this was her first time doing family planning, though she had been hearing about it from the media. Usman said that she was done with childbearing and had no fear of being pregnant again.