By Usman Aliyu
When Chinyere Okonkwo, a 32-year-old tailor in Egor, Edo State, found out she was pregnant with her fourth child, her heart sank.
“I sat on the floor and cried. We were already struggling to feed three children. The market isn’t smiling, and customers are fewer now,” she recalled.
After the birth, she and her husband decided enough was enough and advised the family had to opted for family planning.
“He told me we had to plan, even if our parents never talked about such things. We went to the health centre and I got the injection. Since then, life has been more bearable,” Chinyere said, adjusting her toddler’s clothes.
Across the street from her shop, Mrs. Janet Igbinovia, a primary school teacher and mother of five, also shared a similar story. Her last two pregnancies came barely a year apart.
“I was constantly tired, sick, and overwhelmed. I couldn’t concentrate at work, and my older children were beginning to suffer academically,” she said.
It was her friend who introduced her to a community health centre offering family planning services.
“Now I have peace of mind. I can even save a little from my salary and help my children with their homework without feeling faint,” she said with a relieved smile.
In Uson village near Benin, 39-year-old bricklayer Osaro Idugboe and his wife Blessing opted for child spacing after their third child.
“Everything is expensive now – cement, food, clothes. We were fighting a lot because of money. When my wife suggested we visit the clinic for family planning, I agreed,” Osaro admitted.
Blessing now uses implants, and Osaro says their home is calmer.
“At least we can plan ahead. I even opened a savings account last month,” the husband said
These stories echo across Edo State, where the harsh economic situation has forced many families, both in rural and urban alike, to rethink how many mouths they can afford to feed.
With inflation biting into everyday expenses and salaries largely stagnant, family planning has shifted from a health recommendation to an economic survival strategy.
Comrade Grace Ijeoma Umeh, a family planning advocate based in Benin City, says the urgency is now universal.
“In the past, we used to organise townhall meetings and beg people to consider spacing their children. Now, they are the ones asking questions and seeking help,” she said.
According to her, poverty has become the ultimate leveler.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re educated or not, rich or poor – everyone is feeling the pressure. A lot of families are waking up to the fact that without planning, they’ll crash,” she said.
Umeh recalls advising a woman in her community who had two sets of twins in four years.
“She was exhausted, physically and mentally. After her second set, she said, ‘Madam, I’m done!’ I directed her to the Aruogba community health centre where she received support. Today, she’s thriving. Her husband too. They have peace in their home.”
Health workers across Edo’s public facilities confirm a steady rise in uptake of family planning commodities – from injectables and implants to condoms and pills. Many are now walking in on their own, seeking guidance.
Yet, access remains a challenge in some rural parts, where facilities are understaffed and supplies irregular. Advocates like Umeh stress the need for government support to scale up access and awareness, especially now that economic realities are doing the sensitisation work.
“Family planning helps mothers recover emotionally and physically, helps fathers plan financially, and helps children thrive in healthier environments. It’s not just about contraception, it’s about dignity and survival,” Umeh emphasised.
For families like Chinyere’s, Janet’s, and Osaro’s, that survival rests not just on grit, but on the wisdom of spacing children according to their means.
As Nigeria’s economy continues to bite, more families across Edo State are finding safety not just in savings or side hustles, but in deliberate, planned parenthood.
