The Cross River State Government has taken a major step toward strengthening reproductive health services with the official receipt of a large consignment of Family Planning (FP) commodities, reaffirming its commitment to improved maternal and child health outcomes across the state.
The commodities, procured through the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), were formally handed over to the State Ministry of Health on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, at the state warehouse, Barracks Road, Calabar. The event also served as a high-level stakeholder engagement to formalize the transition of the supplies for statewide distribution.
Receiving the commodities on behalf of the Cross River State Government, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Henry Egbe Ayuk, commended Governor Bassey Edet Otu for prioritising maternal and reproductive health through the timely release of counterpart funding.
According to Dr. Ayuk, the delivery followed 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, underlining the Otu-led administration’s resolve to domesticate and sustain family planning interventions.
“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,” Dr. Ayuk said. “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.”
Speaking at the event, the Head of Office and Programme Coordinator of UNFPA in Cross River State, Dr. Andrew Kirima, described the handover as a clear outcome of effective domestic resource mobilisation by the state government.
He confirmed the delivery of 936 units of Implanon NXT and 118,656 male condoms, noting that Cross River State 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,” Dr. Kirima said. “This places Cross River among states that have successfully domesticated this policy. We thank Governor Otu for making this a reality and for ensuring that these life-saving commodities reach the people who need them most.”
In her remarks, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Nursing Education, Mrs. Uduak Spencer 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,” she stated. “Availability of commodities must go hand in hand with professional service delivery. 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.”
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 State,” she said. “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 was attended by senior officials of the Ministry of Health, members of the state family planning unit, and representatives of UNFPA, all of whom reaffirmed their commitment to effective utilisation and equitable distribution of the commodities.
The ceremony concluded with the formal adoption of a distribution roadmap, paving the way for the immediate movement of the family planning commodities to health facilities across the state, in line with the Cross River State Government’s “People First” agenda.
Kingsley Agim and Jessica Ubi
