Nigeria’s Total Fertility Rate (TFR) has declined from 5.3 children per woman in 2018 to 4.8 in 2024, signalling a major demographic shift over the past five years, according to the 2024 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS).

The report also shows that the use of modern contraceptives among currently married women rose modestly from 12 per cent in 2018 to 15 per cent in 2023, while satisfied demand for family planning increased to 37 per cent.

Similarly, the under-five mortality rate dropped significantly from 132 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2018 to 110 per 1,000 in 2024. However, neonatal mortality remained nearly stagnant, rising slightly from 39 to 41 per 1,000 live births over the same period.

Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Salako, who disclosed this in Abuja during the launch of the report, said the decline in fertility reflects gradual gains in access to and use of family planning services nationwide.

He noted that while the improvements are encouraging, they remain below the threshold required to drive rapid social and economic progress. “More efforts are required to reduce neonatal deaths, which account for about 40 to 45 per cent of under-five mortality,” he said.

Salako revealed that antenatal care coverage currently stands at 63 per cent, skilled birth attendance at 46 per cent, and postnatal care within two days after delivery increased from 38 per cent in 2018 to 42 per cent in 2024.

He stressed that the findings highlight urgent gaps requiring coordinated action, adding that the ministry has begun translating the data into policy reforms. According to him, initiatives such as the Maternal and Child Fatality Reduction Initiative and the Nigerian Child Survivor Act (2023–2025) were developed to address context-specific challenges through targeted interventions.

“This is being done through better health investment targeting, improved coordination, a more efficient planning system, stronger community engagement, and sustained partnerships,” he stated. “Using the 2024 NDHS report to strengthen the health system and achieve measurable progress is a shared responsibility among all stakeholders.”

The minister further explained that the survey data would enable sub-national governments to pinpoint geographical areas requiring urgent interventions.

Chairman of the National Population Commission (NPC), Nasir Kwarra, noted that since its inception in 1990, the NDHS has remained a cornerstone of Nigeria’s demographic data system.

He described the survey as a vital tool for understanding population dynamics, child and maternal health, nutrition, malaria, HIV, and other key development indicators. The NDHS, he said, was implemented by the NPC with oversight from the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and support from development partners.

Kwarra emphasised that the success of the exercise underscores the power of institutional collaboration, noting that “data is not merely a technical output but a public good that drives evidence-based governance.”

World Bank Senior Health Specialist, Dr Ritgak Tilly-Gyado, added that the NDHS provides critical data that helps identify what interventions are working and where further support to the Nigerian government is most needed.