Thursday, July 30, 2025 was a remarkable day for PLAN Health Advocacy and Development Foundation (PLAN Foundation) in its efforts to promote multisectoral advocacy for optimum access to sexual and reproductive health services and rights among women and girls in Oyo State with funding support from AmplifyChange.
The First Reading of the Oyo State Unplanned Pregnancy and Unsafe Abortion (Prevention and Regulation) Bill, 2025 by the Oyo State House of Assembly is a giant step forward towards putting in place and institutionalizing sustainable structures for addressing the twin problems of unplanned pregnancy and unsafe abortion in the State.
The Bill is the result of a series of strategic advocacy efforts led by PLAN Foundation and a coterie of stakeholders including government ministries and agencies including the Oyo State Primary Health Care Board, the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Inclusion as well as the Ministry of Justice. Other stakeholders being involved on the project include religious and community leaders, healthcare workers and their associations, as well as teachers, parents and students of secondary schools.
The draft bill was developed as a result of series of consultations and reviews of existing policies, laws and guidelines based on priorities set through consensus among a broad spectrum of stakeholders in the State with the aim of reducing the challenges facing young girls and women due to unplanned pregnancy and the unacceptably high rates of morbidity and mortality resulting from unsafe abortion in the State.
The uniqueness of the draft bill is that it is the first of its type as it not only addresses both unplanned pregnancy and unsafe abortion in one legislation but it also seeks to put in place a coordinating structure to oversee and ensure access to comprehensive sexuality education and life building skills for young girls while ensuring a safe and regulated environment for women needing life-saving abortion services in line with clearly defined conditions. This will help in demystifying anti-abortion laws among healthcare practitioners and law enforcement agencies while widening the scope of situations in which women may seek abortion services legally in the State to include cases of rape, incest and other issues.
As a result of coordinated and strategic engagement with the Oyo State House of Assembly, the draft bill was adopted for joint sponsorship by the Hon Speaker, Rt Hon Adebowale Ogundoyin as well the Majority Speaker of the House along with the Chairmen of the House Committees on Health, Education, Women Affairs, Justice and Security. PLAN Foundation regards this as an endorsement of the bill as being representative of the Hon issues of the good people of Oyo State and a reflection of it being a truly homegrown bill that meets the needs of the people of the State.
The Executive Director of PLAN Foundation, Obatunde Oladapo expressed the immeasurable gratitude of PLAN Foundation to the various stakeholders who have contributed to this remarkable initiative and especially the leadership of the House as well as the remarkable support of the Clerk of the House, Barrister Taiwo Adenike Akinola and her team of competent parliamentary staff for the speedy progress of the bill in the House of Assembly. He also acknowledged the impactful technical support and guidance and of the AmplifyChange Team especially the Grant Manager, Olive Iroegbu which contributed in no small measure to the successes achieved on the project so far.
PLAN Foundation looks forward to continuing support from the leadership of the House and the Office of the Clerk in following through with the next phases of the passing the bill into law which includes the second reading, retreat for members of the relevant committees, public hearing and final passage of the bill for onward assent by the Executive.
PLAN Foundation Program Manager, Ojeleye Ojemuyiwa expressed appreciation for the unwavering support of the Ministry of Education, the Oyo State Primary Health Care Board, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Inclusion as well as the Ministry of Health for the project. She stressed the importance of the technical support and commitment of critical and key personalities who have contributed to the success of the initiative including Mr. Sodiq Olayanju, the Clerk of the House Committee on Health; Barrister Dúpé Awosemusi of the Ministry of Justice; Mrs. Yemisi Abiola, the Desk Officer for CSE in the Ministry of Education as well as our Consultants, Mr. Siji Ganiyu, a Community Health expert and Dr. Stella Akinso a gender and reproductive health expert of global acclaim.
The proposed bill is one of the series of activities under the Accelerating Community Commitment towards Expanding Sexual and Reproductive Health Services for Women and Girls in Oyo State (ACCESS) Project being implemented in Oyo State by PLAN Foundation with funding and technical support from AmplifyChange.
It is believed that the ACCESS Project will contribute to efforts towards reducing the rates of unplanned pregnancy leading to unsafe abortion among women and girls in the State, through increased commitment of government and other non-state actors to increasing access to safer abortion services among women and girls in the State.
Ifedayo Osemwegie,
Advocacy, Social Mobilization and Media Officer,
PLAN Health Advocacy and Development Foundation (PLAN Foundation),
Ibadan, Nigeria
+2348038320421
ifedayo@planfoundation.org.ng
PLAN Foundation is a member of the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (IAPAC), the World Patients Alliance (WPA), the International AIDS Society (IAS), the Global Network of People Living with HIV (GNP+), the Stop TB Partnership, the International Alliance of Patients’ Organizations (IAPO), the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (IUATLD), the Global Health Council (GHC), as well as various other relevant regional and global networks, movements, and professional associations aligned with its vision of a Nigeria where the individual, family, and community are adequately empowered to protect themselves against poverty, underdevelopment, and the spread of diseases.
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