Despite the numerous health challenges facing women, family planning remains a strong pillar towards preventing maternal mortality as well as mechanism for child development.

It is also truism that it contributes greatly to community and Family health and its widespread acceptance can influence the pace of national development.

This advocacy among others, as championed by different health related non-governmental organizations, has continued to pave ways for improvement in the health sector as well as the society at large.

Although, the project has no doubt faced its own shortcomings in the areas of lack of fund and logistics supports from the government while ignorance and illiteracy on one hand as well as societal, cultural and religious values are not left out of the menace.

However, as advocacy continue to serve as a vehicle for achieving increased finding and family planning, policies that improve supply of family planning commodities, consumables and services.

The Advocacy Core Group Nigeria, ACGN, which was established by Nigerian Urban Reproductive Health Initiative, NURHI, in November 2010 as a collaborative effort with stakeholders and project partners to design and implement high impact strategy ad activities that are culturally sensitive and acceptable has taken a lead in this direction.

ACGN's targets are to provide effective, qualitative and partnership interventions to halt and reverse the scourge of HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, Malaria, Maternal and Child Health and other deadly disease attacking the people of the community level in all ramifications.

Recent research has further revealed that ACGN has successfully been transformed into a strong community voice in each city and capacity of members been built in many area to effectively position them to lad family planning dialogue and ensuring positive support and actions makers, religious and community leaders.

"Such training includes advocacy strategies spit fire, resources Awareness of Population Impact on Development, RAPID, ad Budget tracking."

The performance of the group over the years has however necessitated the need for NURHI project to ensure and support the sustainability of the role of the ACGN and their eventual emergence as self driven advocacy group and community voice beyond the life of the NURHI project.

In its strides to achieve more in this direction, the group organized a Stakeholders Awareness Seminar on Family Planning at the e-Phonix Hotels in Ilorin the Kwara State capital.

Speaking at the event, ACG Chairman, Alhaji Wahab Ajibola, disclosed that,

"NURHI project targets the urban poor in identified project sites; this is because 47% Nigerians live in urban areas and projection of about 50% of Nigeria poor masses to live in urban areas by 2035.

"The benefit of family planning to the family especially as it affects father, mother and children cannot be over emphasized as it improved family health. Effective family planning averts unplanned pregnancies and unsafe children abortion."

He further stated that, "It is pertinent to note from the available statistics on maternal health that Nigeria loss 2,300 under five year old and 145 women of child bearing age, everyday. This is the 2nd largest contributor of the global under five and maternal mortality rate.

"The maternal mortality rate in Nigeria is 576 deaths for every 100,000 live births. This is 10th in the world ranking if indicating of mortality, far behind other neighbouring development countries with smaller economics such as Ghana and Benin who have maternal mortality rate of about 350 deaths per every 100,000 live births each. This is about 2% of the world's population.

"The maternal mortality rate is even higher in areas where women have many babies in short time periods while also facing malnutrition, poor hygienic conditions, and poor access to medical treatment. This is prevailing in the North East and North West of the country, having a lowest rate in the South-West and south-East. Source: An evaluation of the maternal and child health project of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme, SUREPMEH, March-May 2015."

While stressing on the need for the acceptance of the project in the society, the ACG boss noted that, "The group believes that family planning / child spacing is the key to achieving the safe motherhood particularly the goals that emphasize improving maternal and infants' health."

On the numerous challenges facing the group, Alhaji Ajibola said: "The implementation of child health right policy is in progress and shall be included along family planning programme. Logistics in term of transport and fund for effective operation."

Also speaking on the role of Media in Family Planning Advocacy, the Deputy National President, Nigeria Association of Women Journalists, NAWOJ, Hajia Biliqees Oladimeji, noted that advocacy is a set of action undertaken by a Group of dedicated individuals or organization to introduce change or obtain support for specific policies, programmes or issues.

This, she said involves research, identification of audience, strategies for development steps and medium of conveying messages to the identified audience.

According to her, "Advocacy seeks to imitate or change a policy, programme, legislation or to shift the position of influential individuals or organization on a particular issue.

"Due to the importance of advocacy in any substantive agenda, NURHI established ACGN with representative from Health professionals committees and Faith-Base Organization.

"The role of the media in giving voice to Family Planning (FP) issues towards safe motherhood cannot be over emphasized. The media plays major role in information dissemination to the public and ensuring cost effective patronage of FP.

'The ability to influence policy makers through effective media coverage of Family Planning activities depends on the following: Building awareness around respective issues on modern contraceptives and accessibility, functional roles of the media to be driven by the Advocacy Group."

She further maintained that, "Engaging the traditional media on this forum, which includes broadcast, and social media is of Great importance. The fact remains, that FP is news worthy with impact in all spheres of life. Like population issue, over population can negatively affect a nation's development, health, education and over stretching of provided infrastructural facilities."

While enunciating the numerous roles played by the media in the family planning advocacy, Hajia Oladimeji said: "understanding of Family Planning. Through effective networking that creates synergy between ACGN and the media.

"Provision of resource materials and link with Family Planning experts and disclosure of various creative ways for media coverage of FP programmes. Capacity building for effective media Advocacy on FP; Capacity building is an important component of the media, that enhances update knowledge about family planning.

The NAWOJ however noted that the Media should support FP through monitoring of government yearly budget and tracking of governments spending on maternal and child Health issues.

"ACGN in collaboration with the pathfinder international seek a better understanding and support for FP issues to raise the level of public awareness and increase patronage, to explore both the role and potential of the mass media as a vehicle for FP Advocacy", she maintained.

Meanwhile, in his remarks, the General Manager of the Kwara State Broadcasting Corporation, Alhaji Abdullateef Adedeji, disclosed that, "We need to plan our family is we want live a fulfill life."

He added that, "Although, religious and cultural belief are at the front-burner of the many problems confronting the project but more can still be achieved through sensitization and understanding the fact that the roles of the media goes beyond advocacy.

"Social responsibility and encouragement of everybody at all levels to know the benefit of family planning will go a long way in assisting the project. Without adequate planning, government will no doubt fail in its policy formulation."