The Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre has called on the Federal Government to reform Nigeria’s abortion laws, arguing that the country’s restrictive legal framework contributes to unsafe abortions and preventable maternal deaths.
WARDC made the call in a statement issued on Monday to commemorate the 2026 International Safe Abortion Day, with the theme, “Solidarity in Action: Advance Reproductive Justice and Urgently Strengthen Health Systems for Comprehensive Abortion Care.”
The organisation said Nigeria would struggle to significantly reduce maternal mortality if unsafe abortion remained an unaddressed contributor to deaths and serious health complications among women and girls.
WARDC cited an estimated maternal mortality rate of about 1,000 deaths per 100,000 live births in Nigeria in 2023, describing the country as continuing to face one of the world’s highest maternal mortality burdens. It also identified unsafe abortion as one of the recognised causes of maternal deaths.
The group further referenced a nationally representative study which estimated that about 1.25 million abortions occurred in Nigeria in 2012. According to the organisation, approximately 212,000 women received treatment for complications arising from unsafe abortions, while an estimated 285,000 others suffered serious complications without receiving the necessary treatment.
WARDC’s Executive Chairperson, Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, an Associate Professor of Public Law, said the country needed to reconsider an approach focused primarily on criminalisation and develop a framework that combines legal clarity, medical regulation and protection of women’s rights.
The organisation also cited an estimate of about 6,000 deaths annually from unsafe abortion, while stressing that such figures are estimates and that abortion-related deaths could be underreported or incorrectly classified.
WARDC expressed particular concern about adolescents and cited UNICEF data putting Nigeria’s adolescent birth rate at 75 births per 1,000 girls aged between 15 and 19.
According to the organisation, adolescent pregnancy is significantly more prevalent in rural communities, leaving some young girls vulnerable to complications associated with pregnancy and unsafe abortion.
WARDC said girls who become pregnant as a result of rape or incest should have access to healthcare, protection and dignity, rather than facing additional stigma and barriers to medical care.
The organisation proposed several areas of reform, including clearly defining circumstances in which abortion would be lawful, protecting confidentiality and informed consent, regulating qualified healthcare providers and facilities, improving referral systems and ensuring access to quality post-abortion care.
It also called for measures aimed at protecting women and girls from unsafe procedures, coercion and discrimination.
WARDC urged the Federal Government, National Assembly, state governments and other stakeholders to prioritise legal and policy reforms alongside investments in the health system and accurate public information on abortion and reproductive health.
The group maintained that reform should form part of broader efforts to reduce maternal deaths and improve access to reproductive healthcare.
Nigeria’s abortion laws remain highly restrictive, with legal provisions governing when abortion may be performed. The debate over reform has therefore continued to involve legal, medical, ethical, religious and public-health considerations.
WARDC’s latest call adds to the ongoing discussion over how Nigeria can address unsafe abortion and maternal mortality while balancing existing legal and social frameworks. The organisation is urging policymakers to consider changes that, in its view, would expand access to regulated healthcare and reduce preventable deaths and complications among women and girls.
