Can Family Planning Work in Nigeria?
Family planning and contraception is regarded by some as a direct assault on Nigerian traditional and religious values. The desire for large numbers of children is deeply rooted in the Nigerian psyche, and the celebration of fertility and birth is ingrained in many customs. For many Nigerians, children are blessings from God, and the more children one has, the more (s)he is blessed. The ability to reproduce generously is regarded as the essence of womanhood, and a source of pride to the Nigerian man. Many Nigerians subscribe to religious and/or cultural beliefs that reject birth control on moral grounds. Contraception is viewed in some quarters as an immoral Western affront to African values. Traditional family planning methods will be up against these formidable cultural barriers. Only a gradual educational grassroots program aimed at inculcating into the Nigerian psyche, the dangers of overpopulation, will work. maxsiollun@yahoo.com http://maxsiollun.wordpress.
