In 2025, Nigeria made notable strides in maternal health, achieving fewer maternal deaths, greater use of family planning, and stronger antenatal care attendance, the 2025 State of Health of the Nation Report reveals.
Building on these results, the report, prepared under the National Health Act 2014, shows that family planning services expanded steadily, with about 80,000 women newly adopting modern contraceptive methods each quarter.
This surge represented a 45 per cent increase nationwide. Modern contraceptive prevalence among married women rose to 15 per cent, while nearly half of women’s family planning needs were met by modern methods, up from 42 per cent in 2018.
Antenatal care attendance also improved significantly. First visits consistently exceeded 1.8 million, and the number of women completing the recommended four visits climbed from 760,000 in early 2024 to more than 1 million by 2025.
However, delays remain widespread—60 per cent of pregnant women still begin antenatal care only after 20 weeks of pregnancy.
Delivery practices showed marked progress. Skilled birth attendants oversaw 900,000 deliveries in 2025, up from 640,000 the previous year.
Maternal deaths recorded in health facilities dropped from 161 in the first quarter to 108 in the fourth quarter, representing a 25 per cent decline compared with 2024. Still, 7% of facility births occurred without skilled personnel, underscoring coverage gaps.
Despite these gains, postnatal care remains Nigeria’s weakest link. Only 43 per cent of women received checks within two days after delivery, a marginal rise from 42 per cent in 2018. The report warned that this shortfall continues to expose mothers and newborns to preventable risks.
Expanding beyond maternal health, the report flagged wider challenges facing Nigerian women.
Nearly half suffer from anaemia, cancer screening rates remain low, hepatitis awareness is limited, and nutrition concerns are growing, with about 30 per cent overweight or obese.
The report concludes that, while Nigeria made significant progress in 2025, advancing postnatal care, preventive screenings, and nutrition is critical to sustain this momentum and ensure comprehensive care for every Nigerian woman before, during, and after childbirth.
