The Ogun State Government has pledged full implementation of the Safe Termination of Pregnancy guidelines to curb maternal deaths.
Officials said the move aims to expand women’s access to safe and lawful reproductive healthcare.
The Ogun State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to implementing the Safe Termination of Pregnancy (SToP) guidelines to ensure women’s access to safe and lawful abortion care, in line with Nigerian law.
The Executive Secretary of the Ogun State Primary Healthcare Board, Dr. Elijah Ogunsola, made this known in a statement issued on Friday. He said the decision is part of broader efforts to lower maternal deaths and promote medically supervised reproductive healthcare across the state.
Speaking at a seminar in Abeokuta organized by the state Ministry of Health in partnership with the Centre for Bridging Health Gaps, Ogunsola said unsafe abortions remain a major cause of preventable deaths among women, especially those from low- and middle-income backgrounds.
According to him, “Unsafe abortion is one of the top five causes of maternal mortality in Nigeria, and about 97 percent of such cases involve women from poor communities. These deaths can be prevented through access to accurate information and safe medical care.”
He noted that the state government is working with doctors, civil society groups, and legal professionals to strengthen the implementation of the SToP guidelines. He added that the Nigerian Constitution supports women’s right to access safe abortion within legal limits, which places a duty on government to protect their health and well-being.
In her remarks, the Executive Director of the Centre for Bridging Health Gaps, Dr. Moriam Jagun, described unsafe abortion as a preventable cause of death that continues to threaten the lives of vulnerable women and girls. She urged all stakeholders, including healthcare workers, policymakers, faith leaders, and civil society, to work together to expand access to safe, legal, and quality reproductive care.
Also speaking during a panel session, the Director of the Citizens’ Rights Department, Mrs. Oluwakemi Lawal, clarified that abortion is legally permitted in Nigeria when a pregnancy poses a danger to the mother’s life or physical health, such as in cases involving rape, cancer, or incest. She stressed that such procedures should only be carried out by qualified medical professionals in approved health facilities.
A representative of the Society of Gynaecologists and Obstetricians of Nigeria, Dr. Olusoji Jagun, added that safe abortion is part of women’s reproductive rights and should be protected through public awareness and proper medical guidance.
