The Leadership Initiative for Youth Empowerment (LIFE) has raised alarm over the devastating impact of unsafe abortions in Nigeria, revealing that unsafe abortions account for up to 40 per cent of maternal health complications and stand as the second leading cause of maternal mortality in the country.

In a sobering statistic, LIFE disclosed that Nigeria recorded 212,000 of the over two million maternal deaths globally in 2017 alone. The organisation attributes much of this crisis to stigma rooted in deep-seated religious and cultural beliefs that continue to suppress open dialogue around safe abortion and maternal health.

“Many preventable deaths have occurred because women and girls whose continuation of pregnancy poses serious risks are either unaware of their options or unable to access timely care,” LIFE said in a statement.

LIFE highlighted harrowing examples, including teenage girls facing obstructed labour due to underdeveloped bodies, women with life-threatening conditions such as severe hypertension or heart disease, and survivors of sexual violence who become pregnant and are left without support or access to safe alternatives.

To address this crisis, LIFE is championing The Amplify Project, an initiative under the PAMOJA platform aimed at enhancing the voice and agency of vulnerable women and girls in Lagos State. The project is advocating for the reinstatement of the Safe Termination of Pregnancy (STOP) guideline, which was previously suspended—a move the group says has left countless women at increased risk.

The STOP guideline, if reinstated, would help standardise medical practices and empower healthcare professionals to provide life-saving care within the bounds of the law.

“This effort is grounded in the understanding that access to safe abortion in line with legal exceptions is critical to saving lives and upholding reproductive rights. When a pregnancy endangers a woman’s life, saving her shouldn’t be a debate,” the body said.

LIFE therefore calls on policymakers, medical professionals, and civil society to take urgent action to reduce preventable maternal deaths and ensure that women and girls can access the care they need without fear or stigma.