In order to determine 1) the extent of existing family planning services; 2) the role of the commercial sector in family planning activities; 3) the local operating procedures for test and demonstration projects; and 4) a suitable location for contraceptive test marketing a survey was undertaken in 1970 in Nigeria Ghana Uganda and Kenya. An initial survey of the retail contraceptive market in the trading capital was conducted in addition to interviews with each importer and distributor. Data from these sources were cross-checked with sales figures (and in some cases differed by 300%). The level of demand for contraceptives in each of the 4 countries was assessed and general marketing procedures in Africa including legal barriers and barriers to promotion were discussed. For each of the 4 countries the following is relayed: 1) attitudes toward family planning; 2) existing family planning services; 3) the current role of the private sector in the oral contraceptive market the condom market and the marketing of other contraceptives; and 4) the future role of the private sector. The following conclusions were reached. It is unlikely that the contraceptive market in these countries will be expanded by private capital or by local governments because of the current limited market high cost of promotion low profit margin and competition from foreign aid products. In order to mobilize indigenous commercial resources to funnel foreign family planning assistance pragmatic market research test and demonstration projects must be performed. This could lead to a global autonomous contraceptive marketing organization.