Nobody tells you that saying I’m not ready for contraceptives comes with a price tag. Imagine you earn ₦70,000 a month, Nigeria’s current minimum wage. That’s expected to cover rent, transport, and whatever plans you have, including having a child. Something’s got to give.
Limited access is not the only or major problem with contraception. At least not in the way we think it is. Another significant limitation is cost. The budgeted cost of living does not allow for lower-class Nigerians to consider the luxury of contraception.
What does the math actually look like?
The Real Price List
Here’s what the cost of being ready actually is, depending on what you use and where you get it:
Pills: ₦400 to a jaw-dropping ₦40,000, depending on the brand.
Emergency pills: ₦1,200 to ₦4,000. The one thing that stays roughly the same everywhere.
Condoms: ₦500 to ₦22,000. Yes, really.
Implants (Hormonal & Non-hormonal): ₦4,000 to ₦6,500.
Injections: ₦700 to ₦5,000 per shot, and it’s not a one-time cost. You’re expected to get a shot every three months for as long as you are sexually active. Many young women choose it because it’s discreet. There’s nothing to hide, and where there’s nothing to hide, nobody has to know about it.
IUDs: ₦25,000 to ₦307,500.
The range of costs for IUDs is real. It’s a ₦282,500 gap between the cheapest and priciest IUDs. A gap that’s wider than most people’s monthly salary. Two women choosing the same method can end up paying different amounts, depending on which clinic they can reach. A variance an AJOG Global Reports study confirms the price imbalance as a pattern across Nigerian family planning clinics.
The Number That Actually Hurts
Think of an average Nigerian who earns minimum wage and is sexually active. Imagine they’re consistent with condom use and prioritise safety. The constant purchase cost can take a real chunk out of their ₦70,000 salary before the month is halfway done. Up to ₦8,000 a month by some estimates, which is more than a quarter of their income. Now think of the ancillary costs that come with purchasing the condom, especially for women. The trip to the pharmacy (transport). The “moral” implication of being judged by the pharmacist(s) or sales attendant(s) while she’s at it.
These are the parts nobody puts on a poster.
It Gets Worse Depending on Your Location
Here’s the part that should really annoy you: contraceptives can cost wildly different amounts depending on which pharmacy you visit and where it’s located, even within states. A 2022 study on Nigerian family planning outlets found that private facilities charge more than public ones. Sometimes significantly, for the same product. Two women, same contraception, same city, different prices.
Some People Have Tried Fixing The Problem
It’s not all bleak. In 2016, Lagos State made family planning free in parts of Yaba. The initiative involved scrapping the consultation and service fees clinics were charging solely on contraceptives. Anambra State took similar action in 2019, after advocacy groups pointed out similar consultation and service fees. In these states, ignorance and culture were the only reasons women weren’t using contraception. In both states, women admitted to showing up and then disappearing once they realised how much it would cost.
The problem is, not everyone is paying attention or trying to change things.
So, Are You “Not Ready” or Just Can’t Afford Contraceptives?
Currently, over 14 million women in Nigeria don’t have access to modern family planning options. And it’s not because they don’t know it exists. The version of “choice” they’re offered still comes with a price tag attached to it. Even worse, the price tag keeps on changing depending on where they live, what pharmacy they walk into, and how much money they earn.
“I’m not ready” sounds like a personal decision. For a lot of young women in this country, it’s really a receipt.
Written by: Divine Duru
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