The alarming figure is a result of multiple, preventable factors, including poor healthcare infrastructure, a shortage of skilled health workers, financial barriers, and deeply rooted socio-cultural challenges.
Nigeria remains the world’s most dangerous country to give birth, accounting for 29% of global maternal deaths—approximately 75,000 women yearly, or one every seven minutes. UN and WHO data reveal that preventable factors like poor healthcare, staff shortages, and financial barriers sustain this crisis. Despite marginal progress, Nigeria’s maternal mortality rate still outpaces global improvements.
Health experts describe childbirth in Nigeria as “a potential death sentence,” with systemic failures turning “a moment of joy into tragedy.” Most deaths stem from hemorrhage, infections, and lack of emergency care.