Lawyer Slams Nigeria’s Maternal Mortality Crisis As Doctor Dies After Triplets Birth in Bayelsa
Public interest lawyer Okoro Chibuike has criticised the Federal Government over Nigeria’s maternal mortality rate, following reports of the death of a Nigerian doctor in Bayelsa State after giving birth to triplets.
In a statement reacting to the incident, Chibuike said: “Maternal mortality is a pandemic in Nigeria. You would think that, in the 21st century, our mothers should no longer be dying from child bearing complications. But not in Nigeria.”
Citing UN statistics, he stated: “As per UN statistics, Nigeria has the highest number of maternal mortality rate in the world. Every year, more than 80,000 of our mothers are buried, accounting for over 30% of such deaths globally.”
Chibuike added: “Sadly, this unfortunate statistics is not strong enough to inspire a govt policy/ regulations. Rather the govt looks the other Way. In 2026, A Nigerian mother is more likely to die from child bearing complications than from such other things as cancer, HIV, pension (another govt made pandemic). Leaving us with broken homes, and broken lives. The Govt Is The Enemy!”
According to the World Health Organization’s 2023 trends report, Nigeria accounted for 29% of global maternal deaths in 2020, with an estimated 82,000 maternal deaths annually. The Federal Ministry of Health has previously listed maternal health as a priority under its Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative.
The Federal Government has not responded to Chibuike’s comments at the time of publication.
Editorial Note:
This report relays statements made by Okoro Chibuike and references publicly available WHO data on maternal mortality.