08 August, 2025
Paul
Beyond Taboo: How Faith and Culture Shape Family Planning in Nigeria
In busy Lagos markets and quiet Kano suburbs, Nigerian mothers talk quietly about something that affects every family but nobody likes to discuss: child spacing. Take Amina, a 32-year-old mom with four kids in northern Nigeria. For her, family planning isn't just about health—it's about balancing faith, tradition, and modern life.
"My grandma had twelve children. My mom had eight. I want four," says Amina, fixing her hijab. "But when I mentioned waiting between pregnancies at a family gathering, everyone went quiet."
Amina's story shows what millions of Nigerians deal with—trying to respect their cultural and religious beliefs while facing today's family challenges.
For Nigerians with questions about family planning, the Honey and Banana initiative offers a toll-free helpline at 7790, where callers can speak with health experts who understand local cultural and religious values.
Where Faith Meets Family
Nigeria's 200 million people are split almost evenly between Christians and Muslims, with traditional beliefs mixed into both. These religious backgrounds strongly affect how people think about family planning.
In many Muslim communities in northern Nigeria, big families are seen as Allah's blessings. However, progressive voices are emerging. Ustaz Hussaini Shehu, the Deputy Chief Imam of Ningi Central Mosque in Bauchi State, explains: "Islam permits child spacing to enable the child and the mother to benefit and enjoy a healthy living."
In Christian communities in the south, different churches have different views. While Catholic teachings are against artificial birth control, many Protestant churches support family planning as being responsible.
"We tell our church members to pray about how many kids to have and when to have them," says Pastor Grace Okonkwo from Enugu. "We talk about it as being good providers and parents—which matches what the Bible teaches."
The Weight of Tradition
Beyond religion, traditional values see large families as sources of pride, help, and security in old age. Children carry on the family name, work on farms, and care for parents when they get old in places without retirement systems.
"Having many children means many hands to work the land," says Pa Adebayo, a villager near Ibadan. "But things are changing. Now children need school, which costs money. People are starting to see that raising kids well matters more than having lots of them."
This new thinking isn't easy for everyone. Blessing, a 28-year-old mother in Benin City, feels pressure from relatives: "My mother-in-law always asks when the next baby is coming. She doesn't get that we're spacing our children so we can pay for their education."
Honey and Banana: Working Within Culture
The most successful family planning programs in Nigeria don't fight against culture—they work with it. Leading this approach is Honey and Banana, a Nigerian initiative that's changing how communities talk about family planning.
Honey and Banana works with clerics to talk about family planning using passages from Islamic texts that support child welfare and mothers' health. They're careful about language too—"child spacing" works better than "family planning" or "birth control," which can sound like limiting family size or outside interference.
"When I called 7790, I spoke with a nurse who understood my religious concerns," says Ibrahim, a father of three from Kano. "She explained everything in a way that respected my faith."
The Power of Words
When Fatima, a community health worker with Honey and Banana, visits homes in her Kano neighborhood, she never says "contraception" or "population control." Instead, she talks about "family wellbeing", “child spacing” and "healthy timing of pregnancies."
"I tell stories about families who spaced their children and could educate all of them," Fatima explains. "I use sayings and stories that make sense in our culture."
This approach is effective. In places where religious leaders support the cause, more people are using family planning without cultural pushback.
"Anyone with questions can just call 7790," Fatima tells families. "It's free, private, and the experts understand our values."
A Path Forward
The changes are coming from communities themselves. Young couples are talking openly about family size, and many religious leaders are finding ways to support family planning that fit with faith.
For Amina, change happened when her imam talked about responsible parenting during Friday prayers. "Hearing this from our respected leader gave my husband and me permission to make choices that work for our family," she says. "When I had questions about methods, I called the Honey and Banana line at 7790, and they helped me find a method that fit with my beliefs and directed me to a clinic close to me."
As Nigeria moves forward, the most lasting changes will honor the deep cultural and religious values while helping families succeed in today's world.
