A newborn baby was abandoned by her mother, a female student, at Apalara Medical Hospital in Kwara State. The infant was delivered on Thursday and handed over to the Ministry of Women Affairs on Friday by Medinat Garuba, a police officer, and Giwa Luqman, Chief Medical Director of Apalara Hospital. Opeyemi Oluwakemi, Kwara's Commissioner for Women Affairs, confirmed the handover and said the government would provide full medical and physical care for the child. She reiterated that every child is valued in the state and commended members of the public who helped bring the baby to the ministry.
Luqman disclosed that the mother had initially sought to terminate the pregnancy but was counselled to carry it to term. Despite the intervention, she abandoned the baby after delivery. Oluwakemi noted that under the Child Rights Law, abandoned babies may be reintegrated into society through fostering or adoption. She emphasized that due process must be followed and mothers given time to reconsider their decisions.
The case of the female student who abandoned her newborn after being counselled against abortion reveals the limits of institutional support in personal crises. Opeyemi Oluwakemi's assurance of care for the baby does not address the psychological and social pressures that lead to abandonment. For Nigerian women, especially students, the absence of safe, non-judgmental reproductive support systems pushes difficult choices into secrecy. This incident underscores how policy and compassion often fail to meet reality.
