Exploring barriers and facilitators to integrated policy formulation and implementation of family planning and urban development programmes in Nigeria

BACKGROUND: As more people now live in urban areas than in rural communities in Nigeria, urban development (UD) requires urgent policy and programmatic attention. Although the population factor has been identified as important to achieving national development goals, and evidence suggests that meeting the family planning (FP) and reproductive health (RH) needs of the vulnerable urban population can serve as an important recipe for achieving population growth rates consistent with building sustainable, habitable and prosperous urban settings, FP remains a neglected subject in UD initiatives in Nigeria. This study explored barriers and facilitators in achieving integrated policy formulation and implementation of FP and UD programmes in Nigeria. METHODS: We conducted key informant interviews (n = 37) with relevant FP/RH and UD stakeholders in Ibadan and Kaduna—two megacities that have undergone several UD and FP intervention programmes in the south and north of Nigeria. The sample size was determined by data saturation. Data were organized using ATLAS.ti and NVivo 12 software, and analysis was conducted using a thematic approach. RESULTS: We found that relevant government agencies largely work in silos. Other identified barriers to integrated policy formulation/implementation of FP and UD programmes in Nigeria include lack of knowledge about the FP–UD nexus between professionals, ineffective implementation and monitoring of existing guidelines, lack of policy documentation that clearly links FP and UD, and frequent transfer of government stakeholders. Notwithstanding the identified barriers, the study established ways of achieving synergy between FP and UD sectors, including stakeholder engagement, intersectoral collaborations, sensitization and publicity, roundtable discussion, interdisciplinary research, conferences and other interactive and knowledge-sharing fora. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that addressing barriers to the intersectoral linkage between FP and UD is fundamental to achieving sustainable urbanization in Nigeria.