The campaign for child spacing in Kano State has gained fresh momentum in Rano and Wudil emirates, following a partnership between Nigeria Health Watch, MSI Nigeria Reproductive Choices, and journalists reporting on reproductive health.
Speaking at his palace when journalists visited during a three-day Solutions Journalism Field Reporting Trip, the Emir of Rano, Alhaji Muhammad Umar, credited men, traditional leaders, and religious institutions for the growing acceptance of child spacing in his emirate.
“Our men have accepted different methods of child spacing, and this has helped reduce the situation where families have more children than they can cater to,” the Emir said. “Now, parents are seeing the benefits. Spaced children are healthier and happier, while mothers are stronger and better positioned to care for their households.”
The reporting trip, which drew 20 journalists from across northern Nigeria, was designed to spotlight practical responses to reproductive health challenges through the lens of solutions journalism.
PERISCOPE NIGERIA reports that prior to the two-day field trips to Rano and Wudil, participants where exposed to important aspects of solution journalism, understanding sexual reproductive health, MSI Nigeria’s approach: Community-based interventions, innovations and impact stories.
Director of Media Programmes at Nigeria Health Watch, Chibuike Alagboso, explained that the initiative was targeted at shifting the mindset of reporters to impactful storytelling.
“The idea is to enable journalists go beyond identifying problems, and instead focus on reporting interventions that deliver impact,” he said.
For MSI Nigeria Reproductive Choices, building community trust remains central to its approach. The organisation’s Norms Advisor, Abdullahi Saminaka, stressed the role of local voices in driving acceptance.
“We use community structures to deliver these services, ensuring they are both accessible and culturally acceptable,” Saminaka said. “Working with leaders, health providers, and respected figures makes the difference.”
The collaboration is expected to deepen awareness, strengthen community confidence, and reinforce local ownership of reproductive health services across Rano, Wudil, and beyond.
