The Ogun State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to reducing maternal deaths through the full implementation of the Safe Termination of Pregnancy (SToP) guidelines.
The Executive Secretary of the Ogun State Primary Healthcare Board, Dr Elijah Ogunsola, said this in Abeokuta during a seminar organised by the state Ministry of Health in collaboration with the Centre for Bridging Health Gaps.
Ogunsola explained that the initiative seeks to ensure women’s access to medically supervised and rights-based reproductive healthcare while promoting safe and legal abortion services in line with Nigerian law.
He described unsafe abortion as a major public health concern, noting that it remains among the top five causes of maternal mortality in Nigeria.
“About 97 per cent of unsafe abortion cases occur among women from low- and middle-income backgrounds due to stigma and limited access to accurate information and quality care,” Ogunsola said.
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He added that the government is working closely with health professionals, civil society, and legal experts to strengthen the implementation of the SToP guidelines.
“The 1999 Constitution supports access to lawful and medically safe reproductive services, reinforcing our duty to protect the health and rights of women and girls,” he stated.
In her remarks, the Executive Director of the Centre for Bridging Health Gaps, Dr Moriam Jagun, described unsafe abortion as one of the most preventable causes of maternal death and called for collective action to eliminate stigma and improve access to quality care.
Also speaking, the Director of the Citizens’ Rights Department, Mrs Oluwakemi Lawal, clarified that abortion may be performed legally in cases where a pregnancy threatens a woman’s life or health, or in instances of rape, cancer, or incest—provided the procedure is carried out by qualified professionals in safe conditions.
A representative of the Society of Gynaecologists and Obstetricians of Nigeria, Dr Olusoji Jagun, added that safe and legal abortion protects women’s rights to make informed health decisions without fear of stigma or prosecution.
Unsafe abortion continues to be a leading contributor to Nigeria’s high maternal mortality rate, underscoring the need for wider awareness and stronger policy implementation.