Tennessee And Nigeria Face Reckoning Over Abortion Laws

Lawsuits, stigma, and public health concerns drive renewed debate over abortion access and maternal safety in Tennessee and Nigeria.

24 October 2025

On October 23, 2025, two very different corners of the world found themselves at the center of the ongoing debate over abortion laws and the lives of women: Tennessee, USA, and Lagos, Nigeria. While their legal frameworks and cultural backdrops differ dramatically, both regions are grappling with the consequences of restrictive abortion policies, the confusion sown by vague legal exceptions, and the mounting toll on women’s health.

In Tennessee, a three-judge panel delivered a significant blow to Governor Bill Lee’s administration by ruling against the state’s attempt to end a lawsuit challenging the state’s near-total abortion ban. According to Tennessee Lookout, the lawsuit was initially brought in 2023 by a group of Tennessee OB-GYNs and women who had suffered serious medical complications during their pregnancies. The American Medical Association later joined the case, underscoring the gravity of the issues at stake for both patients and medical professionals.

Continued: https://evrimagaci.org/gpt/tennessee-and-nigeria-face-reckoning-over-abortion-laws-512744

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/

Advancing Expansion Of Access To Safe Abortion In Nigeria

By Hameed Oyegbade
June 26, 2025

The current rate of unsafe abortion in Nigeria remains a source of concern to many and has necessitated the consistent call for expansion of access to safe abortion in the country.

In Nigeria, abortion is illegal while the only legal way to have an abortion in Nigeria is if having the child is going to put the mother's life in danger. In other words, abortion is illegal in Nigeria and carries a heavy jail sentence of up to 14 years imprisonment, unless it is performed to save the life of the pregnant woman.

Continued: https://www.thenigerianvoice.com/news/352923/advancing-expansion-of-access-to-safe-abortion-in-nigeria.html#google_vignette

26.06.2025

News

African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights

Reproductive Justice initiative Foundation

Society of Gynaecology and Obstetrics of Nigeria

Training helps improve abortion and contraceptive care in marginalized and humanitarian settings in Nigeria

Rachel Ogunlana, IPAS Nigeria
May 22, 2025

In the aftermath of humanitarian crises, many communities are forced out of their settlements, increasing their vulnerability. In such challenging environments, transactional sex for food is the norm, and consequently, increased instances of rape and forced marriages. The need for access to abortion and contraception services is critical in these settings. It’s also important that within healthcare facilities, healthcare workers are equipped to provide these services.

The Ipas Nigeria project, “Improving Reproductive Autonomy for Women and Girls in Nigeria”, addresses this need. It provides training to humanitarian and health care workers to offer responsive care to women and girls who have experienced sexual violence in humanitarian settings.

Continued: https://www.ipas.org/news/abortion-contraceptive-humanitarian-nigeria/

22.05.2025

Commentary

Improving Reproductive Autonomy for Women and Girls in Nigeria

Ipas Nigeria

manual vacuum aspiration

Nigeria – NGO identifies unsafe abortion as major cause of maternal mortality

May 22, 2024

Lack of access to safe abortion has been identified as a major cause of maternal mortality in Nigeria.

This was the submission of a nongovernmental organisation, IPAS Nigeria at a research dissemination meeting in Abuja themed, “Building Legal Support to Address the Menace of Unsafe Abortions and Sexual Violence in Nigeria”.

Continued: https://radionigeria.gov.ng/2024/05/22/ngo-identifies-unsafe-abortion-as-major-cause-of-maternal-mortality/

22.05.2024

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

News

Campus Wey Sabi

Doris Ikpeze

Ipas Collaborative Fund

Ipas Nigeria

Ipas Nigeria Health Foundation

Onelife Initiative for Human Development

Nigeria – Ipas Donates Reproductive Health Commodities, Equipment To Kano Govt

Appolonia Adeyemi
Apr 26, 2024

Ipas Nigeria Health Foundation in partnership with the Kano State Ministry of Health, State Primary Healthcare Management Board, and Hospital Management Board has donated reproductive health commodities and equipment to the Kano State Government to strengthen the capacity of the healthcare system to reduce preventable deaths from unsafe abortions and provide quality post abortion care (PAC) services.

Unsafe abortions are one of the leading causes of maternal mortality in Nigeria, contributing up to 15 per cent of maternal deaths. As part of the Government’s objectives to ending preventable maternal mortality, Ipas Nigeria Health Foundation is working in Kano State to support healthcare systems with relevant health commodities including – Uterine pelvic models, Manual Vacuum Aspirators (MVA), and Medical Abortion Combipacks.

Continued: https://newtelegraphng.com/ipas-donates-reproductive-health-commodities-equipment-to-kano-govt/

Nigeria – Ipas, lawyers organise mock court proceedings on abortion laws

November 14, 2022
Ene Oshaba

Ipas, an International nongovernmental organisation working to reduce abortion-related death and injuries has organised a ‘mock’ court proceedings to test the effectiveness of the laws on abortion in the country.

The proceedings aims at increasing women’s ability to exercise their sexual and reproductive rights, especially as hundreds of Nigerian women die every day of complications arising from unsafe abortions across the nation.

Continued: https://www.blueprint.ng/ipas-lawyers-organise-mock-court-proceedings-on-abortion-laws/

14.11.2022

‘Unsafe abortions contributing to high maternal mortality rate in Nigeria’

By The Nation
On Aug 6, 2022

A non-profit organisation, Ipas Nigeria Health Foundation has identified unsafe abortions as one of the factors contributing high maternal mortality rate in Nigeria.

The organisation said Nigeria is confronted with high incidences of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV), which sometimes results in unwanted pregnancies, leading to unsafe abortions.

Continued: https://thenationonlineng.net/unsafe-abortions-contributing-to-high-maternal-mortality-rate-in-nigeria/

Ipas, NCWS Partner To Remove Economic, Health Barriers Against Women

By Olumide Gbenga
ON MAY 24, 2022

The Country Director of Ipas, Mr Lucky Palmer, on Monday promised to partner with the National Council of Women Societies (NCWS) Nigeria to remove all forms of barriers affecting women.

Palmer made the promise when the newly elected President of NCWS, Hajiya Lami Lau, led a delegation on a visit to Ipas office in Abuja.

Continued: https://www.withinnigeria.com/broadnews/2022/05/24/ipas-ncws-partner-to-remove-economic-health-barriers-against-women/

24.05.2022