1 in 5 girls aged 15-19 across Northern Nigeria wants but does not have access to modern contraception.

Through Matasa Matan Arewa (MMA)—the first replication of Adolescents 360 (A360)’s blueprint—A360 is driving toward filling that gap.

What is A360?

Launched in January 2016, A360 is a four-year project that aims to increase voluntary, modern contraceptive use among adolescent girls (15-19 years old) in Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Southern Nigeria. The project works in partnership with young people, leveraging deep consumer insights to deliver context-tailored and girl-defined solutions responsive to girls’ unique needs.

What A360 is doing in Northern Nigeria

MMA has served 1,600 married adolescent girls, and counting, with modern contraception from January through June 2018. As MMA demonstrates: A360 delivers a practical guide for replication, tailored to the context of the girls we serve.

What A360 and MMA are measuring

In June 2018 alone, four in five married girls aged 15-19 who interacted with MMA adopted a method of modern contraception. 25% of girls opted for a long-acting method—dramatically outperforming Nigeria’s 0.5% national average for long-acting reversible contraception uptake among married girls within the same age group.

What A360 and MMA are learning

There is real power in using an insight-driven program designed by local organizations, rooted deeply in the context of their markets and consumers. Local NGO Society for Family Health Nigeria (SFH) led the design process of MMA in Northern Nigeria after working closely with A360 and IDEO.org in Southern Nigeria to hone their skills on insight generation and prototyping.

Why A360-inspired Northern Nigeria programming is working

MMA engages men and religious leaders to create a groundswell of support among those central to influencing how girls make health decisions. And it works. An MMA mobilizer, for example, referred Yakaubu and his 19-year-old wife to services—after the couple were denied an abortion when Yakaubu’s wife fell pregnant, again. Today, his wife’s implant gives Yakaubu peace of mind. “God will take care of everyone. But it is my job to provide food and school,” Yakaubu says. Contraception, he adds, means they together can plan for the family and future they desire. “Now, when I look at my children, they are growing strong, not sickly, and she is not pregnant yet. When I look at my wife, she looks more beautiful…I’m happy about that, and I’m so thankful for [MMA].”