The Ogun State House of Assembly has moved forward with a bill titled "H.B. No. 036/OG/2026 – Ogun State Safe Termination of Pregnancy Law, 2026" after conducting a second reading on Tuesday. The legislation aims to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality, promote safe motherhood, and establish legal conditions for the termination of pregnancy in line with medical and reproductive health rights. Speaker Oludaisi Elemide, who presided over the session, stated the bill would undergo rigorous scrutiny to ensure it aligns with the Nigerian Constitution and other existing laws. He emphasized that the process would prevent legal conflicts or redundancies.
The bill was sponsored by Hon. Wahab Haruna, Chairman of the House Committee on Health, who described it as a necessary measure to address persistent maternal mortality in the state. He explained that the proposed law would allow qualified medical practitioners in approved facilities to carry out pregnancy terminations when medically indicated, particularly when a woman's life is at risk. Other lawmakers, including Hon. Babatunde Tella, supported the bill, saying it would enable safe medical interventions in high-risk pregnancies. Hon. Lukman Adeleye stressed the importance of adopting global best practices in reproductive healthcare, noting the bill would offer legal protection to victims of rape and reduce trauma. Lawmakers Hon. Oluseun Adesanya, Hon. Yusuf Sheriff, and others affirmed that the legislation would improve access to vital medical information and services for women.
The Assembly has committed the bill to the House Committee on Health for further review and legislative action. The full title of the bill states its purpose as "Reducing Maternal Morbidity and Mortality, Promoting Safe Motherhood and Reproductive Health Rights and Establishing the Conditions for the Safe Termination of Pregnancy in accordance with Legal Indications, and for Connected Purposes."
Speaker Elemide insists the bill will not conflict with national laws, yet pushes a proposal that directly challenges Nigeria's现行 criminal code on abortion. While lawmakers frame it as a health intervention, the contradiction between state-level reform and federal legal restrictions remains unresolved. The bill's path through committee scrutiny will test whether Ogun lawmakers can navigate this legal tension. For now, it signals a rare legislative attempt to address reproductive rights in a restrictive legal environment.
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