University of Jos main gate. (Credit: Premium Times)
By Marie-Therese Nanlong
Professor Josiah Mutihir, who delivered the 98th inaugural lecturer of University of Jos, advocates a name change for family planning.
He said the concept, family planning, appears to connote ‘bad omen for a genuine course’.
Mutihir, a Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology spoke on the topic, “Family planning and contraception: The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.”
He said, “there should be consideration for a name change to replace family planning because the name appears to connote bad omen for a genuine course. There is a need for a roundtable to fabricate a new name that is acceptable to all and does not leave anyone out.”
“Family planning is misunderstood by stakeholders. God instituted family planning, religion allows some family planning methods and science develops modern methods of contraceptive based on knowledge allowed by God.”
Prof Mutihir urged the federal government to review family planning policies and set targets towards achieving the family planning 2030 goals, FP2030 and advocate stakeholders’ collaboration.
“All family planning counseling, commodities and services be made free and available in all Primary Health Clinics and facilities across the country. All health and medical training institutions to have curricula for pre-service and in-service training of all relevant healthcare provider to provide appropriate family planning methods.”
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“The Faculty of Pharmacy in the University of Jos should collaborate with stakeholders or partners to look into hormonal research and explore the possibility of manufacturing contraceptive commodities in the country, particularly the hormone-based methods.”
“The media and the National Orientation Agency should continually and freely inform and educate the public on the availability and benefits of family planning to all. Implementing partners, friends of Nigeria should come on board and help the country achieve the FP2030 goals and objectives. Partners should help develop electronic platforms to capture data on the use of the natural family planning methods”, Prof. Mutihir added.
In his remark, Acting Vice Chancellor of the University of Jos, Professor Gray Ejikeme has called on stakeholders of the university community to seek knowledge and apply same in their daily living as doing such would stimulate learning and create high impacts on human lives.
The Acting VC noted that some people ignorantly spread falsehood about family planning, commended Professor Mutihir for taking time to explain and “enrich human knowledge” on the subject.
Prof. Ejikeme tasked scholars and Nigerians to seek knowledge stressing where they are in doubt, saying that tertiary institutions existed to provide knowledge-based information.
