WOMEN’S reproductive rights remain a polarising subject in Nigeria. They are rooted in historical and moral complexities. Yet, as society evolves and medical science advances, the omnipresence of draconian laws governing abortion has become an existential threat to Nigerian women, particularly the vulnerable.
Maternal mortality, unplanned pregnancies, rape, and incest are grim realities that demand a shift in perspective and policy. There is a need for progressive reforms in abortion laws, not to advocate reckless terminations but to align with a woman’s right to life, health, and dignity within the bounds of morality and medical science.
Statistics paint a devastating picture. The Chief Medical Director of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Adetokunbo Fabamwo, stated that 610,000 unsafe abortions occur in Nigeria annually, with over 80 per cent performed by quacks and unqualified individuals. This is an epidemic.
These procedures are often carried out in clandestine settings—dingy rooms, back-alley clinics, or under unsafe conditions—with crude instruments and unhygienic practices that leave women bleeding, infected, mutilated, or worse, dead.
[Punch does not give permission to share the text of this in-depth article, but you can go to their website and read it yourself. It is well worth doing.]
SOURCE: Punch Nigeria, Punch Editorial Group, 24 November 2024