By Chioma Obinna

Safe abortion campaigners have called on the Lagos State Government to reinstate the Guidelines on Safe Termination of Pregnancy for Legal Indications (STOP), insisting that the policy is a life-saving tool to reduce preventable maternal deaths.

Nigeria records one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world, with 512 deaths per 100,000 live births according to the World Health Organisation (WHO, 2019). Unsafe abortion accounts for 30–40 percent of these deaths, with Lagos alone recording about 13 percent, according to the Society of Gynaecology and Obstetrics of Nigeria,SOGON.

The STOP guideline, first released by the Federal Ministry of Health before 2022 and adopted by the Lagos State Government in June 2022, was later withdrawn after public backlash. Advocates say reinstating it is critical to safeguarding women’s health.

Speaking on the campaign, the Project Lead for the International Centre for Poverty Alleviation and Sustainable Development, CENPAD, Ubani Arukwe, who spoke during the maiden meeting of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists, NAWOJ, Lagos chapter, said the guideline provides clarity for both health providers and women seeking care.

“We are campaigning for the reinstatement of the STOP guideline because it will significantly reduce maternal deaths in Lagos.

“This is not a pro-choice document but a pro-life tool that protects the lives of mothers and children.”
Arukwe who spoke at the maiden meeting of the explained that the guideline also covers complex situations such as pregnancies that endanger women’s mental health, noting that without it, women are forced to carry high-risk pregnancies with grave consequences.

“Our appeal is for Lagos State to bring back this guideline. It is a health issue, not a morality debate,” he added.

To strengthen the campaign, CENPAD said it is partnering entered with the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists, NAWOJ, Lagos chapter, to drive advocacy and public awareness.

Also speaking, the Chairperson of NAWOJ Lagos, Mrs Jumoke Johnson, described the partnership as timely and essential.

“This partnership with THREAD and CENPAD is about safeguarding women’s reproductive health and ensuring that the right information reaches the right ears,” she said. “NAWOJ will serve as the amplifier to bring this advocacy to policymakers and to help change the negative narrative around abortion.”

She added that the initiative would also help improve data and research on women’s health, which are critical for designing effective policies.

Campaigners insist that unsafe abortion remains a leading cause of preventable maternal deaths in Nigeria and that reinstating the STOP guideline will save lives.