Southwest Stakeholders form Coalition for Advocacy on Child and Women’s Right (APROCHWG)
Data from the Ogun State Primary Healthcare Board (2024) highlights trends in adolescent abortion cases from 2021 to 2024, emphasizing the need for improved abortion access, reproductive health services, and supportive policies for women and girls, particularly those who are pregnant as a result of rape, incest and those with maternal health risks.
Induced Abortions peaked at 241 cases in 2023, dropping to 49 in 2024, possibly due to under reporting or unsafe methods
Spontaneous Abortions rose from 485 (2021) to 784 (2023) before falling to 459 (2024), reflecting fluctuating care access.
Unsafe Abortion Complications rcorded highest in 2022 (444 cases), declining to 263 (2023) and 112 (2024), highlighting the need for safer services. (Ogun PHCB 2024).
This is a development that calls for serious concern as the cases are more in some other states.
On Tuesday 15th April, 2025, Initiative for Peace and Comfort joined other stakeholders and Civil Society Organizations at a strategy meeting on Advocacy for safe abortion under the aegis of Association for Promotion of Community Health, Women and Girls Right, APROCHWG.
The meeting was to form and strengthen a coalition for safe abortion in Southwest. Participants were drawn from the southwest states – Ogun, Ondo, Lagos, Oyo, Ekiti and Osun States.
At the meeting, discussions surrounding advocacy for safe abortion was on the front burner.
Participants worried about how this advocacy could likely fall on the negative side. These concerns were – a likely increase in the rate of abortion and irate premarital sex.
Bar. Fehintola presented the existing legal frame works on abortion which are the penal code for the North and criminal code for the South. She added that there are policies beginning to take ground as it is already in place in Ogun.
She enlightened members on the need for collective efforts to amplify voices on safe abortion which will also reduce unsafe abortion vis a vis mortality.
Our project manager joined a group discussion alongside other participants who are CSOs from Ogun.
We explored peculiarities of each state in the Southwest as regards the status quo on abortion, we looked at the challenges and action plans.
Coordinators were appointed for each state’s and the Southwest as action plans were shared. There will be further communications through the contact filled in the membership form.
