NURHI Phase 1 (2009 – 2015)
Phase 1 of NURHI was implemented in six cities (Federal Capital Territory, Ibadan, Ilorin, Kaduna, Benin and Zaria). According to the 2013 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey, it contributed to significant increases in contraceptive prevalence in these cities.
Demand Generation
NURHI 2 used social mobilization to increase awareness about and generate demand for family planning methods and services. During community-based activities such as neighbourhood campaigns, community dialogue, and celebrations of key life events, community representatives talked with men and women about family planning. Young social mobilizers also discussed life planning and reproductive health with young people, leaders, and parents.
Social mobilisation activities sparked discussions about family planning at the community level and directed clients to health facilities for family planning information and services. All mobilization activities focused on making family planning information available and bringing services closer to community members, even in hard-to-reach areas. To learn more about how NURHI 2 conducted effective social mobilizations click here.
Neighbourhood Campaigns
During neighbourhood campaigns, mobilizers moved from door to door talking about the benefits of family planning and referring people to nearby family planning services. Mobilizers also informed community members about periodic outreach clinics offering free family planning services in their communities.
Community Dialogues
Community dialogues brought people together at central locations to watch, listen and discuss excerpts from family planning radio and TV programming. These dialogues provided opportunities for community members to interact and share experiences with each other and get accurate answers to their questions from family planning service providers within the community.
Key life events
Mobilizers identified events in their communities, such as weddings, naming ceremonies and graduations, where they spoke with guests about the benefits of modern family planning and where to seek more information and services. Celebrants also received branded Get It Together campaign gift items.
To promote sustainability of its social mobilization activities and the integration of family planning messages across Nigeria, NURHI 2 provided technical assistance to the National Orientation Agency (NOA) to develop its first Social Mobilization Guidelines to serve as a manual to staff and stakeholders on the processes of social mobilization and how various key messages are integrated.