Chapter 5: The Application of Digital Technologies to Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in Nigeria: A Focus on Family Planning and Contraceptive Access

Innovation and technology, no doubt, have the potential to realise sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), particularly in the age of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has aggravated existing inequalities. It has long been recognised that use of contraception improves maternal and child health outcomes and enhances economic empowerment of women. In order to ensure that Africa remains on track to meet the sustainable development goals (SDGs) by 2030 and universal access to SRHR services, African nations, including Nigeria, must invest in the application of digital technologies. This becomes imperative to safeguard and strengthen family planning and access to contraceptives. This paper adopts a doctrinal method of legal research and examines the extent to which the current laws that regulate technology in Nigeria explicitly address the application of digital technologies to SRHR/healthcare delivery to drive the achievement of healthcare for all Nigerians. In conclusion, the paper advocates that the Nigerian government should leverage health technologies by ensuring access to digital health interventions through improvement in contraceptive use, e-contraception, and health-seeking behaviour, particularly among hard-to-reach populations. It further suggests the need for the integration of digital health technologies to build the nation’s healthcare for future health crises.