NIGERIA – FG vows tougher action against unsafe abortions, maternal mortality

By : Ene Oshaba, Abuja
1 Oct 2025

The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to reducing maternal mortality by tackling unsafe abortion and strengthening reproductive health systems nationwide.

Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, represented by the Director of Family Health, Robert M. Daniel, made this known in Abuja on Tuesday at the International Safe Abortion Conference organised by Ipas Nigeria Health Foundation to mark International Safe Abortion Day.

Continued: https://guardian.ng/news/fg-vows-tougher-action-against-unsafe-abortions-maternal-mortality/

Disability rights are human rights: Inclusive reproductive justice in Nigeria

July 29, 2025
Rachel Ogunlana, Communications and Engagement Advisor for Ipas Nigeria Health Foundation

With unsafe abortion remaining a leading cause of maternal death in Nigeria, it is critical that women with disabilities have access to comprehensive reproductive health services—including contraception and safe abortion—free from fear, stigma, and shame, and with the dignity every person deserves.

Women with disabilities face multiple, intersecting challenges that often result in being denied essential reproductive health services when they need them most. Many require specialized care before, during, and after an abortion due to physical or cognitive impairment, yet this care is frequently unavailable or inaccessible. They are also routinely excluded from receiving accurate information about their reproductive health, leaving them unable to make informed, life-saving decisions.

Continued: https://www.ipas.org/news/disability-rights-are-human-rights-inclusive-reproductive-justice-in-nigeria/

Nigeria affirms right to abortion for survivors of sexual violence

July 23, 2025
Ipas

In a landmark decision in June 2025, the Federal High Court in Abuja affirmed that unplanned pregnancies resulting from rape, incest and other forms of sexual violence is a violation of the rights of women and girls.

“The ruling is a welcome development, as this is the first time a superior court in Nigeria has recognized that pregnancies arising from sexual violence not only harm a woman’s physical health but also her mental wellbeing,” says Lucky Palmer, director of the Ipas Nigerian Health Foundation. “The decision represents a critical legal precedent and a significant stride toward safeguarding the bodily autonomy and dignity of women and girls in Nigeria.”

Continued: https://www.ipas.org/news/nigeria-affirms-right-to-abortion-for-survivors-of-sexual-violence/

23.07.2025

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FG Moves to Decriminalise Abortion in Nigeria

Federal Government Moves to Decriminalize Abortion Amid Concerns Over Maternal Deaths Linked to Unsafe Procedures in Nigeria

October 4, 2024

The federal government is taking steps to decriminalise abortion in the country, according to Dr. Binyerem Ukaire, Director of the Family Health Department at the Federal Ministry of Health.

Speaking during the SRHR Summit 1.0 in Abuja, held to mark World Contraception Day, Dr. Ukaire, represented by Barrister Nma Ogbonna, noted that sections 288 to 290 of the Criminal Code currently make abortion illegal. However, the government, in partnership with health advocates, recognises the need to protect the lives of women and girls of reproductive age by reforming these laws.

Continued: https://www.withinnigeria.com/news/2024/10/04/fg-moves-to-decriminalise-abortion-in-nigeria/

Stakeholders Alarmed By 610,000 Unsafe Abortions In Nigeria, Urge Contraceptive Access

By Racheal Abujah
October 4, 2024

Health sector stakeholders have raised alarm over the concerning rate of unsafe abortions in Nigeria, where approximately 610,000 unsafe abortions occur annually.

This revelation was made during the Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) Summit 1.0, held in Abuja to commemorate World Contraception Day 2024.

The summit, organised by the Media, Health, and Rights Initiative of Nigeria (MHRIN), was themed “A Choice for All: Freedom to Plan, Power to Choose.” The event brought together health professionals, policymakers and advocates to discuss the alarming number of unsafe abortions in Nigeria and the urgent need to improve access to contraceptives as a solution to unplanned pregnancies and maternal mortality.

Continued: https://sciencenigeria.com/stakeholders-alarmed-by-610000-unsafe-abortions-in-nigeria-urge-contraceptive-access/

Building Evidence to Combat Sexual Violence and Unsafe Abortions in Nigeria

Oluomachukwu Omeje, Nigeria Health Watch
July 5, 2024

At this very moment, somewhere around the world, a woman or girl is experiencing some form of sexual violence. This devastating infringement on human rights can have dire consequences on the health and well-being of these women and girls regardless of their age and socio-economic backgrounds.

Such health consequences can be acute, chronic and sometimes deadly with even more grim outcomes like unintended/unwanted pregnancy, and abortions/unsafe abortions.

Continued: https://nigeriahealthwatch.medium.com/building-evidence-to-combat-sexual-violence-and-unsafe-abortions-in-nigeria-71c71608477c

Nigeria – How restrictive reproductive health laws endanger women’s lives

June 7, 2024
by ENE OSHABA

Avoidable deaths
When a married mother of two, called his causing, a medical doctor, in desperation, seeking help to terminate an unplanned pregnancy due to financial and career pressures, his immediate reaction was one of moral indignation. “God forbid,” he said, brushing off her plea. Little did he know, this rebuff would set off a chain of events leading to her tragic demise.

Recounting this sad and life changing experience, a Medical Practitioner, Dr. Fehintola Akintunde stated: “My educated cousin sought help from an unqualified provider. She was taken to a remote village where the procedure was done improperly. She developed severe complications and was rushed to the Federal Medical Centre in Abeokuta.

Continued: https://blueprint.ng/how-restrictive-reproductive-health-laws-endanger-womens-lives/

IPAS Partners NAWOJ To Enhance Reproductive Health Reporting

by Ayo Mukhail
June 6, 2024

The Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) has collaborated with IPAS Nigeria Health Foundation (NHF) to improve reporting on Women’s Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (WSRHR).

A 2-day training session, held in Lagos on May 29-30, 2024, equipped women journalists with the necessary skills and knowledge to effectively report on WSRHR issues. “The aim of this training is to build the capacity of NAWOJ leadership on WSRHR issues, ensuring women journalists have the necessary skills and knowledge to effectively report on these issues,” said Mr. Lucky Palmer, Country Director of Partners for Reproductive Justice, Ipas Nigeria Health Foundation.

Continued: https://insideoyo.com/ipas-partners-nawoj-to-enhance-reproductive-health-reporting/

In Nigeria, Ipas’s innovative partnership with religious leaders aims to reduce gender-based violence

May 17, 2024
Combatting gender-based violence is a massive challenge in Nigeria, where nearly one of every three women and girls aged 15-49 has experienced physical violence, including rape and other forms of sexual violence. Ipas has developed a crucial partnership with religious leaders that’s helping to change this.

In 2023, the Ipas Nigeria Health Foundation began carrying out an innovative effort aimed at reducing gender-based violence, ensuring that survivors get the sexual and reproductive care they need, and seeing that more perpetrators are punished for their crimes.

Continued: https://www.ipas.org/news/in-nigeria-ipass-innovative-partnership-with-religious-leaders-aims-to-reduce-gender-based-violence/

17.05.2024

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Empowering Nigerian youth one campus at a time

Ipas
May 7, 2024

Ipas’s local partner, Onelife Initiative for Human Development, has helped Nigerian college students take control of their sexual and reproductive health through a program called “Campus Wey Sabi,” a title which loosely translates to “campus knows best.” Through measuring student knowledge, training local health-care vendors, and hosting on-campus sessions with students and health providers, the program achieved significant results in just four months.

Onelife Initiative, based in Southwest Nigeria, educates youth on issues that affect their futures, like preventing unplanned pregnancies and unsafe abortions. With funding from the Ipas Collaborative Fund, they were able to pilot their “Campus Wey Sabi” program. The Collaborative Fund provides no-strings-attached grants to local organizations like Onelife that work to advance reproductive justice in their communities.

Continued: https://www.ipas.org/news/empowering-nigerian-youth-one-campus-at-a-time/

07.05.2024