Chief (Dr) Mrs Moji Makanjuola, MFR, Edelivering her goodwill message at the event.
By Abdulrahman Aliagan,
Stakeholders in Nigeria’s health, human rights, and development sectors have called for urgent action to ensure that no woman dies while giving birth, stressing that maternal health is a fundamental human right and not a privilege.
The call was made at the International Women’s Day Policy Dialogue themed “Rights, Justice and Action – Free Emergency C-Section to Save Lives as a Human Right,” held at the headquarters of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in Maitama, Abuja.
The policy dialogue, convened by Mrs. Mabel Adinya Ade, Founder and Executive Director of the Adinya Arise Foundation (AAF) and Coordinator of the FCT Abuja Local Coalition Accelerator, brought together policymakers, civil society organisations, health professionals, development partners and media practitioners to examine Nigeria’s maternal health challenges and advocate stronger policy action.
According to her, maternal deaths are preventable with timely care. Delivering the opening address, Mrs. Ade said the gathering was not only to commemorate International Women’s Day but also to confront the harsh reality that many Nigerian women still die during childbirth due to preventable factors.
She said, thousands of maternal deaths occur annually not because medical knowledge is lacking but because women cannot access timely emergency obstetric care when complications arise.
She explained that in many rural communities, deeply rooted cultural norms and patriarchy often delay critical decisions about seeking medical care during childbirth.
“Maternal health is not a privilege but a fundamental right of women. Every day in Nigeria, women die while performing one of life’s most sacred acts — bringing life into the world. Not because medicine has failed, but because they cannot access timely life-saving care,” she said.
Ade highlighted the layers of barriers women face, including the need for permission from male household heads before seeking treatment, lack of money for transportation and medical services, and the long distance to health facilities.
She said such delays often escalate complications such as obstructed labour into life-threatening emergencies that may lead to uterine rupture, severe bleeding, infection, stillbirth or lifelong injuries such as obstetric fistula.
“These tragedies should not happen in the 21st century. They are preventable when emergency obstetric care, especially timely Caesarean sections, is accessible and delivered without delay,” she added.
The AAF founder stressed that ensuring free emergency C-sections for women facing life-threatening labour complications would save lives and protect Nigeria’s economic and social development.
“A country that protects mothers protects its workforce, its communities and its future prosperity,” she said.
Ade also pointed to the limited participation of women in political and governance systems, noting that policies affecting maternal health are often inadequate when women are excluded from decision-making processes.
In a goodwill message delivered on behalf of the Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission, Mr. Tony Okechukwu Ojukwu, Ms. Debbie Dowgo emphasized that access to safe maternal healthcare, including Caesarean section when medically required, is a matter of human rights.
Dowgo explained that Caesarean section is a surgical intervention designed to save the lives of both mother and child during complicated deliveries.
She noted that women remain particularly vulnerable in maternal health situations due to financial constraints, lack of access to quality facilities, and social inequalities.
The NHRC representative outlined ongoing efforts to address these issues, including policy advocacy, strengthening accountability systems and promoting legislative action to support maternal healthcare.
She also called for improved funding, stronger monitoring mechanisms and financial protection frameworks that will ensure pregnant women are not denied life-saving care due to inability to pay.
Speaking during the dialogue, Chief (Dr.) Mrs. Moji Makanjuola, Executive Director of the International Society for Media in Public Health (ISMPH), emphasized the crucial role of the media in raising awareness about maternal health interventions.
Makanjuola noted that although government has introduced several policies aimed at providing free Caesarean sections and improving maternal health services, public awareness about these initiatives remains low.
She therefore called for sustained communication and advocacy to ensure women and communities understand their rights and available health services.
“How much do people know about these interventions? That is where awareness becomes critical,” she said.
She said the media must help address multiple gaps including facility access, transportation challenges, public awareness, and women’s understanding of their reproductive health rights.
“We need to speak to women. We need to cover a lot of grounds so people will know.
At the International Society for Media in Public Health, we constantly address these gaps,” she said.
Makanjuola also commended the presence of men at the event, stressing that maternal health is not solely a women’s issue but a collective societal responsibility.
She specifically praised Dr. John Agbo for his support for pregnant women requiring Caesarean sections.
According to her, Dr. Agbo has introduced a policy at his hospital that reduces the cost burden for women requiring the procedure.
Dr. John Agbo Joseph of Lona CityCare Hospital in Karu shared his experience providing maternal healthcare services and highlighted the importance of private sector participation in reducing maternal mortality.
Agbo explained that his hospital has implemented a support policy that provides a 30 per cent reduction in the cost of Caesarean sections for pregnant women.
He said the initiative was introduced to help reduce financial barriers that prevent women from accessing life-saving surgical procedures.
Also speaking, Dr. Charles Uche, Country Director of Plan International, highlighted the organisation’s commitment to improving health and social outcomes in underserved communities.
He said Plan International has been working in Nigeria for more than 11 years and currently operates in 19 states across the country.
According to him, the organisation focuses on communities that are often cut off from government attention, particularly in conflict-affected areas.
Uche said the organisation has implemented life-saving interventions reaching over 120,000 people in Gwoza and Maiduguri, including maternal and reproductive health support.
Other panelists at the dialogue, including Dr. Bala and Mr. Cletus Ilugo of Warande Advisory Nigeria, examined the realities of maternal health challenges in Nigeria and proposed solutions to reduce preventable deaths.
They stressed the need for stronger collaboration between government, civil society organisations, healthcare providers and development partners to ensure that maternal health policies translate into real benefits for women.
The experts also called for improved health infrastructure, better emergency referral systems, expanded financial protection mechanisms and stronger accountability in the health sector.
A national call to action
Participants at the policy dialogue agreed that preventing maternal deaths requires coordinated action across government institutions, the healthcare system, civil society and the media.
They reaffirmed the central message of the dialogue that no woman should die while giving life, urging authorities to prioritise free emergency obstetric care and strengthen policies that protect maternal health.
The event concluded with a renewed commitment from stakeholders to intensify advocacy, public awareness and policy engagement aimed at ensuring that safe motherhood becomes a guaranteed right for every Nigerian woman.
A cross-session photograph during the inauguration of the FCT Local Coalition Accelerator being conducted by Dr Charles Uche, Country Director of PLAN International.