Childbirth in Nigeria

Childbirth in Nigeria refers to the practices, challenges, and maternal outcomes associated with pregnancy and delivery across the diverse cultural, economic, and healthcare contexts in Nigeria. As the most populous country in Africa, Nigeria has one of the highest fertility rates and also faces significant challenges in maternal and child health. Childbirth practices vary between urban and rural areas, traditional and modern medicine, and among ethnic and religious groups.{{cite journal |last1=Akinsola |first1=Kofoworola O. |last2=Olasupo |first2=Olabisi |last3=Salako |first3=Julius |last4=Sanaka |first4=Jennifer Z. |last5=Samuel |first5=Rose N. |last6=Bakare |first6=Oluwabunmi |last7=Quadri |first7=Risikat |last8=Emmanuel |first8=Oluwapelumi |last9=King |first9=Carina |last10=Falade |first10=Adegoke |last11=Bakare |first11=Ayobami Adebayo |title='I went to the primary health centre close to my workplace, but their capacity cannot deliver the baby': exploring why women choose different providers for maternal health services in Nigeria |journal=BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth |date=25 March 2025 |volume=25 |issue=1 |page=339 |doi=10.1186/s12884-025-07382-w |doi-access=free |pmc=11934700 |pmid=40133936 }}{{cite journal |last1=Opara |first1=Uchechi Clara |last2=Iheanacho |first2=Peace Njideka |last3=Petrucka |first3=Pammla |title=Visible and invisible cultural patterns influencing women's use of maternal health services among Igala women in Nigeria: a focused ethnographic study |journal=BMC Public Health |date=13 January 2025 |volume=25 |issue=1 |page=133 |doi=10.1186/s12889-025-21275-9 |doi-access=free |pmc=11727540 |pmid=39806330 }}{{cite book |last1=Izugbara |first1=Chimaraoke O. |last2=Wekesah |first2=Frederick M. |last3=Adednini |first3=Sunday A. |title=Maternal Health in Nigeria: A Situation Update |date=2016 |publisher=African Population and Health Research Center |url=https://aphrc.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Maternal-Health-in-Nigeria_Final-Report.pdf }}{{pn|date=April 2025}}{{cite web |title=Situation of women and children in Nigeria |url=https://www.unicef.org/nigeria/situation-women-and-children-nigeria |publisher=UNICEF }}{{cite news |title='Pregnancy is not a disease': why do so many women die giving birth in Nigeria? |url=https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2024/apr/16/pregnancy-is-not-disease-why-do-so-many-women-die-giving-birth-in-nigeria-one-of-africas-richest-countries |work=The Guardian |date=16 April 2024 }}

Overview

Nigeria’s population exceeds 200 million,{{Cite web |title=Nigeria Population (2025) |url=https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/nigeria-population/ |access-date=2025-04-08 |website=Worldometer |language=en}} and the country records over 7 million births annually.{{Cite web |title=Country Office Annual Report 2022 Nigeria |url=https://www.unicef.org/media/136256/file/Nigeria-2022-COAR.pdf |website=UNICEF}} The maternal mortality rate remains high, with the World Health Organization (WHO) estimating that Nigeria contributes approximately 20% to global maternal deaths.{{cite journal |last1=Ope |first1=Beatrice Wuraola |title=Reducing maternal mortality in Nigeria: addressing maternal health services' perception and experience |journal=Journal of Global Health Reports |date=18 May 2020 |volume=4 |doi=10.29392/001c.12733 |doi-access=free }} The government and non-governmental organizations have continued to address this issue through policy reforms, education, and improved access to maternal healthcare.{{cite journal |last1=Olamijulo |first1=Joseph A. |last2=Olorunfemi |first2=Gbenga |last3=Okunola |first3=Halimat |title=Trends and causes of maternal death at the Lagos University teaching hospital, Lagos, Nigeria (2007–2019) |journal=BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth |date=December 2022 |volume=22 |issue=1 |page=360 |doi=10.1186/s12884-022-04649-4 |doi-access=free |pmc=9036837 |pmid=35468759 }}

Cultural practices

Traditional beliefs and practices play a significant role in childbirth across Nigeria. In many rural areas, women rely on Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) who offer culturally accepted methods and home delivery services. Herbal remedies, spiritual rituals, and postnatal confinement are common among various ethnic groups.{{Cite web |title=Situation of women and children in Nigeria |url=https://www.unicef.org/nigeria/situation-women-and-children-nigeria |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241224170455/https://www.unicef.org/nigeria/situation-women-and-children-nigeria |archive-date=2024-12-24 |access-date=2025-04-08 |website=www.unicef.org |language=en |url-status=live }}{{cite journal |last1=Akinwumi |first1=Adebowale Femi |last2=Ijadunola |first2=MacellinaYinyinade |title=Outcome of Increment in User Fees on Utilization of Maternal Health Services in an Urban Comprehensive Health Centre, South-West, Nigeria |journal=Nigerian Medical Journal |date=2022 |volume=63 |issue=5 |pages=402–408 |pmid=38867750 |pmc=11165324 }}

In contrast, urban areas show an increasing reliance on hospital births and trained midwives. However, traditional beliefs may still influence decision-making around antenatal care and delivery location.{{cite journal |last1=Aynalem |first1=Bewket Yeserah |last2=Melesse |first2=Misganaw Fikrie |last3=Bitewa |first3=Yibelu Bazezew |title=Cultural Beliefs and Traditional Practices During Pregnancy, Child Birth, and the Postpartum Period in East Gojjam Zone, Northwest Ethiopia: A Qualitative Study |journal=Women's Health Reports |date=May 2023 |volume=4 |issue=1 |pages=415–422 |doi=10.1089/whr.2023.0024 |pmc=10460962 |pmid=37645589}}{{Cite journal |last1=Amutah-Onukagha |first1=Ndidiamaka |last2=Rodriguez |first2=Monica |last3=Opara |first3=Ijeoma |last4=Gardner |first4=Michelle |last5=Assan |first5=Maame Araba |last6=Hammond |first6=Rodney |last7=Plata |first7=Jesus |last8=Pierre |first8=Kimberly |last9=Farag |first9=Ehsan |date=2017 |title=Progresses and challenges of utilizing traditional birth attendants in maternal and child health in Nigeria |journal=International Journal of MCH and AIDS |volume=6 |issue=2 |pages=130–138 |doi=10.21106/ijma.204 |pmc=5777388 |pmid=29367889}}

Healthcare access and facilities

The Nigerian healthcare system comprises public and private sectors, but access to quality maternal care is uneven. Urban centers tend to have better-equipped hospitals, trained professionals, and emergency services, while rural communities often lack such infrastructure.

Efforts to promote Skilled Birth Attendance (SBA){{cite journal | doi=10.1186/s12884-018-1751-z | doi-access=free | title=The effect of implementation strength of basic emergency obstetric and newborn care (BEmONC) on facility deliveries and the met need for BEmONC at the primary health care level in Ethiopia | date=2018 | last1=Tiruneh | first1=Gizachew Tadele | last2=Karim | first2=Ali Mehryar | last3=Avan | first3=Bilal Iqbal | last4=Zemichael | first4=Nebreed Fesseha | last5=Wereta | first5=Tewabech Gebrekiristos | last6=Wickremasinghe | first6=Deepthi | last7=Keweti | first7=Zinar Nebi | last8=Kebede | first8=Zewditu | last9=Betemariam | first9=Wuleta Aklilu | journal=BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth | volume=18 | issue=1 | page=123 | pmid=29720108 | pmc=5932776 }} and Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care{{Cite journal |last1=Tiruneh |first1=Gizachew Tadele |last2=Karim |first2=Ali Mehryar |last3=Avan |first3=Bilal Iqbal |last4=Zemichael |first4=Nebreed Fesseha |last5=Wereta |first5=Tewabech Gebrekiristos |last6=Wickremasinghe |first6=Deepthi |last7=Keweti |first7=Zinar Nebi |last8=Kebede |first8=Zewditu |last9=Betemariam |first9=Wuleta Aklilu |date=December 2018 |title=The effect of implementation strength of basic emergency obstetric and newborn care (BEmONC) on facility deliveries and the met need for BEmONC at the primary health care level in Ethiopia |journal=BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth |language=en |volume=18 |issue=1 |page=123 |doi=10.1186/s12884-018-1751-z |doi-access=free |pmid=29720108 |pmc=5932776 }} have had limited reach, particularly in northern regions. Poverty, transportation challenges, and low health literacy contribute to delays in seeking and receiving care.

Government policies and initiatives

Several initiatives have aimed to reduce maternal and infant mortality:

National Health Policy: Promotes reproductive health services and access to skilled healthcare workers.
Midwives Service Scheme (MSS): Launched in 2009 to deploy midwives to rural communities.{{Cite journal |last1=Abimbola |first1=Seye |last2=Okoli |first2=Ugo |last3=Olubajo |first3=Olalekan |last4=Abdullahi |first4=Mohammed J. |last5=Pate |first5=Muhammad A. |date=2012 |title=The midwives service scheme in Nigeria |journal=PLOS Medicine |volume=9 |issue=5 |pages=e1001211 |doi=10.1371/journal.pmed.1001211 |doi-access=free |pmc=3341343 |pmid=22563303}}{{Cite journal |last1=Abimbola |first1=Seye |last2=Okoli |first2=Ugo |last3=Olubajo |first3=Olalekan |last4=Abdullahi |first4=Mohammed J. |last5=Pate |first5=Muhammad A. |date=2012 |title=The midwives service scheme in Nigeria |journal=PLOS Medicine |volume=9 |issue=5 |pages=e1001211 |doi=10.1371/journal.pmed.1001211 |doi-access=free |pmc=3341343 |pmid=22563303}}
Basic Healthcare Provision Fund (BHCPF): Seeks to improve funding for primary healthcare, including maternal care.{{Cite web |title=Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) – NPHCDA |url=https://nphcda.gov.ng/bhcpf/ |access-date=2025-04-08 |language=en-US}}

International bodies such as the WHO, UNICEF, and UNFPA collaborate with Nigeria to strengthen maternal health outcomes.

Challenges

Despite progress, childbirth in Nigeria is fraught with challenges:

Maternal mortality: Estimated at 512 deaths per 100,000 live births (as of 2020).{{cite journal |last1=Ajegbile |first1=Mopelola Lauretta |title=Closing the gap in maternal health access and quality through targeted investments in low-resource settings |journal=Journal of Global Health Reports |date=13 October 2023 |volume=7 |doi=10.29392/001c.88917 |doi-access=free }}
Infant mortality: High rates, especially in underserved areas.
Gender inequality: Limits women's autonomy in health decisions.
Inadequate infrastructure: Shortage of hospitals, staff, and essential supplies.
Cultural barriers: Preference for traditional methods and skepticism toward modern healthcare.

Improvements and innovations

Mobile health (mHealth){{cite book |doi=10.1016/B978-0-12-814309-4.00012-4 |chapter=Mobile health (MHealth) |title=Fundamentals of Telemedicine and Telehealth |date=2020 |last1=Iyengar |first1=Sriram |pages=277–294 |isbn=978-0-12-814309-4 }} platforms, community health extension workers, and maternal education campaigns have shown promise in bridging gaps. Programs like MamaCare, Safe Motherhood Initiative, and others have helped increase awareness of safe delivery practices.{{fact|date=April 2025}}

Conclusion

Childbirth in Nigeria reflects the broader socio-economic and healthcare disparities within the country. While policy reforms and public health campaigns have made strides, sustained investment and culturally sensitive interventions are necessary to improve maternal and child health outcomes across all regions.{{fact|date=April 2025}}