Stakeholders at the public hearing on the proposed Ogun State Safe Termination of Pregnancy Law, 2026, have commended the State House of Assembly for initiating the bill, aimed at reducing maternal mortality, protecting healthcare professionals and providing a clear legal framework for safe pregnancy management in the State, describing it as a well-conceived legislation
The Speaker, Rt. Hon. Oludaisi Elemide, while declaring the stakeholders’ forum open at the Assembly Complex Abeokuta, said the proposed legislation was designed to provide “a legal and institutional framework for the safe termination of pregnancy under the defined circumstances.”
Elemide, noted that the Assembly considered the increasing incidence of unregulated abortions and the resultant deaths of adolescents and women in the above practice as unacceptable.
He added that the bill would ensure the provision of a legal framework that would not only safeguard the livelihoods of genuine medical practitioners, but also deter criminal elements who exploited the absence of rules and regulations to perpetrate evils in the society.
According to him, ” the legislation seeks to entrench safe motherhood, reduce maternal morbidity, mortality and establish the conditions for the safe termination of pregnancy,” while assuring the participants that every submission made would be meticulously considered in ensuring that the bill takes care of the stakeholders’ interests.
He expressed confidence that the engagement would produce a comprehensive legislation that would strengthen safe pregnancy management in the State, urging the stakeholders to make meaningful contributions to the bill, while assuring that their inputs would be given the necessary legislative consideration in the process leading to the passage of the bill.
In her remarks, the State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker, said the proposed legislation would establish a framework around safeguarding the lives and health of women and that of the health practitioners.
She added that the bill would help provide access to mental health services for women and the girl-child experiencing emotional trauma arising from unwanted pregnancy.
Also speaking, Chairman, House Committee on Health, Hon. Wahab Haruna, explained that the bill was conceived because of the unnecessary complications that constantly arise from pregnancy and childbirth of mothers, sisters and daughters, which could be preventable.
Contributing, stakeholders at forum noted that ambiguity in the legal provisions might result in dangerous delays in patient care, calling for adequate indemnity for qualified medical practitioners to prevent unjust penalties.
They also sought the need to put machineries in place to prevent victims of rape and incest from patronising quacks, by ensuring that only licensed professionals provide such medical services.
Stakeholders present at the forum, included a former Chairman of the State branch of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Dr. Azeem Ashimi, the representative of the State chapter of National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, Nurse Bello Adejoke, the Onitafin of Otafin, Oba Morufu Adebayo, who advocated for the need to address the legal ambiguity surrounding safe termination of pregnancy.
Others were representatives of Civil Society Advocacy for Human Rights, Social Development, Alhaji Adesina Adefolahan, the League of Imam and Alfa in the State, Dr. Tajudeen Usman, State chapter of the Society for Gynaecology and Obstetrics of Nigeria ( SOGON), Dr. Shorounmu Tessie, representative of the State Command of the Nigeria Police, ACP Glory Otonko, Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, Comrade Yinka Folarin and the Centre for Economic Empowerment and Gender Activities, Oduntan Bunmi, amongst others.
