ABSTRACT
The reduction in population growth is believed to improve a country’s prospects for economic development which in turn is believe to enhance the country’s ability to improve the lives of its citizen. In case of Nigeria we can see the rapid growth of population which has been increasing in triple folds for example from fifty six (56) million people in 1963 to one hundred and sixty-seven (167) million in 2006 according to National population Commission (2011).There is no such socio-economic issue as graver and pressing than that of population growth. Thus to save the country from such graver problem, it is essential the population growth should be planned, well checked and people should see their health as paramount. The objectives of this study are: to analyze the level of knowledge and practice of family planning especially the modern contraceptives by people in Nigeria with particular emphasis on Hausa community of katsina-Ala L.G A. Benue state which is one of the populated community in katsina –Ala L.G.A., examine the characteristic of contraceptives users, identified those factors that create hindrances to the practice of family planning especially the modern method of family planning, identify and discuss strategies that can be adopted to improve the use of modern contraceptive in Nigeria .The research has the following significance: to create more awareness and positive attitudes towards family planning especially the modern method and aid understanding on how the size of the family can be voluntarily controlled through the use of modern contraceptives. The study was analyzed by taking a random sample of eighty (80) respondents in their reproductive age in Hausa community of Katsina-Ala LGA Benue State ; data was collected through primary and secondary data; the research instrument used were questionnaire, personal observation and oral interview; the analysis of data consist of simple tabulation on the background of showing frequencies and percentages. The study confirms that the use of modern method of family planning is still very low in the study area. Finally, conclusions and recommendations were made on the basis of the obtained result to enhance and facilitate the modern family planning practice in our contemporary society.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
High fertility rate and hence high population growth rate are among the major economic and social problems facing Nigeria. This is because the level of utilization of modern contraceptive in Nigeria is still very low although it has increased over the last decades from 3.5% to 8.6% (1990 and 1999 Demographic Health Survey; Nigeria National Population and Health Survey 2008:pp4).
It is also indicated that the level of contraceptive use among sexually active adolescent is particularly low contributing to the high level of teenage pregnancy, unsafe abortion and maternal mortality, among others. On the whole, the total demand for family planning (FP) is still relatively low as only 29% of women demanded for family planning in 1999 as shown by the National Demographic Health Survey (NDHS 2003). However, the level of unmet needs for family planning decreased from 21% to 13.3% between 1990 and 1999 (federal ministry of Health (Nigeria) 2003; Reproductive Health Survey, 2003, by federal Ministry of Health Abuja, Nigeria).