Sustaining Programs and Partnerships on Reproductive Health Transformation (SuPPoRT) is a six-month initiative (January - June 2021) funded by TJ. Mather in Oyo State and at the Federal level to provide continued technical assistance and institutional support towards sustaining Family Planning gains achieved by Nigeria Urban Reproductive Health Initiative (NURHI) over the last 10 years. Here is its first quarterly newsletter.

1. The SuPPoRT Initiative Quarterly Newsletter
April 2021 Vol. 1
IN THE ISSUE
Community Connect: Building Agency
Among Young People
Strengthening CSOs to Sustain Family
Planning Advocacy
A State Committee to Promote
Demand for Family Planning
Sustaining high impact practices in
family planning programming
through technical assistance to drive
improvements in operational
effectiveness.

2. COMMUNITY CONNECT: BUILDING AGENCY AMONG
YOUNG PEOPLE
The SuPPoRT Initiative adapted
the JHUCCP Community
Connect approach in Oyo State
to build the capacity of young
people to make important life
choices affecting their well-
being, health (including
reproductive health) and
development.
This approach seeks to build the
agency of young people
through a series of capacity
building and mentoring
exercises to empower them with
the life skills they need to make
responsible decisions.
The Oyo Community Connect adaptation kicked off in February 2021 with the enrollment of
31 young people (16-30 years) selected from the two pilot LGAs – Ibadan North-East and
Ibadan South West. The enrollees were engaged in a two-week exercise to build their
capacities to become leaders in their own micro spaces and identify and harness opportunities
for their personal growth.
At the end of the exercise, participants developed a 6-month business plan and were enrolled
in a 6-week vocational training of their choice.

3. STRENGTHENING CSOS TO SUSTAIN FAMILY
PLANNING ADVOCACY
In February, the SuPPoRT Initiative’s technical assistance
hub in Oyo supported the Oyo Advocacy Core Group -
Advocacy Network for Mutual Development and Progress
(AN4MDP) and the State Interfaith Forum to review
their activities in support of family planning, particularly
within the context of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
This support included strengthening their networking and
partnership potentials for sustainability as well as
identifying opportunities that can be leveraged to fund
future activities. The SuPPoRT Initiative continues to
engage both groups to strengthen their capacities for
sustainable FP advocacy in the State. The AN4MDP has
become a reference point for community-led advocacy and
a learning lab for other states. While the ACG has become
a fully registered Civil Society Organization, the Interfaith
Forum is well on its way to doing the same.

4. To ensure demand generation activities
for family planning are sustained and
effectively coordinated in the State, the
Hub provided technical assistance to the
Oyo SMOH/SPHCB Health Educators
and State chapter of the National
Orientation Agency (NOA) and to
establish a State Social and Behaviour
Change Communication (SBCC)
Committee.
The membership of the committee, which was inaugurated on February 24, 2021, by the
Executive Secretary of the SPHCB, includes the State health educators (SMOH and PHCB),
the NOA, the media, a representative of the Ministry of Information, youth representatives and
LGA health educators (across the 33 LGAs of the State).
A terms of reference highlighting the roles and responsibilities of the committee was developed
and a plan of action for the first quarter was agreed on during the inauguration meeting.
Sustaining Programs and Partnerships on Reproductive Health Transformation (SuPPoRT) is a six-month
initiative (January - June 2021) funded by TJ. Mather in Oyo State and at the Federal level to provide
continued technical assistance and institutional support towards sustaining Family Planning gains
achieved by Nigeria Urban Reproductive Health Initiative (NURHI) over the last 10 years.
For more information about the SuPPoRT Initiative, contact:
Oris Ikiddeh - Technical Advisor, Knowledge Management
Email: oikiddeh@jhuccp.ng
A STATE COMMITTEE TO PROMOTE DEMAND FOR
FAMILY PLANNING
ABOUT THE SUPPORT INITIATIVE
@Getittogetherng