Lagos, June 2016 - When NOTAGAIN Campaign Media team visited Igbologun, an island community in Amuwo Odofin Local Governmenr Area of Lagos State, we witnessed the helpless situation experienced by pregnant women and children in the community with respect to health care. Located close to the traditional ruler’s quarters is a Maternity Centre which appeared to be deserted as there were no patients in the facility at the time of visit. The health facility looked spacious, with many rooms, including what looked like a doctor’s quarters yet it is not being utilized by the community residents.

Lagos, August 2016 - Development Communications Network, DevComs, with support from Nigerian Urban Reproductive Health Initiative, NURHI, trained media personalities on the need for Effective Reporting of Family Planning. The series of training which were carried out in Lagos, Oyo and Kaduna States in June, July and August 2016 hosted reporters, broadcasters, presenters and producers from print, radio, television and online media .

In recognition of the power of the media to project issues in ways that stimulate public discourse and draw the attention of policy and decision makers to issues of importance, Development Communications (DevComs) Network paid visits to Lagos State based media houses to solicit support for increased projection of Reproductive, Maternal Newborn and Child Health (RMNCH) issues on their platforms. The visit was part of efforts to increase media involvement in RMNCH advocacy in Nigeria and strengthen partnership with media organizations in Lagos State.

Women and children in rural areas are not the only ones disproportionately affected by poor quality of maternal and child health care delivery. Those in communities few kilometers away from the city are faced with health threats also due to the absence of health facilities.