By Our Reporter
The Ogun State House of Assembly has commenced the second reading of a bill aimed at reducing maternal morbidity and mortality, promoting safe motherhood and establishing conditions for the safe termination of pregnancy in legally recognised circumstances.
The bill, titled “H.B. No. 036/OG/2026 – Ogun State Safe Termination of Pregnancy Law, 2026,” scaled the second reading during plenary at the Assembly Complex, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
Speaking shortly after lawmakers debated the proposed legislation, the Speaker of the Assembly, Oludaisi Elemide, assured that the bill would undergo extensive review to ensure that its provisions conform with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and other existing laws.
Elemide said the proposed law was designed to address avoidable maternal deaths by improving access to safe reproductive healthcare while ensuring that medical interventions are carried out within a clearly defined legal framework.
He explained that the House Committee on Health, alongside relevant stakeholders, would subject the bill to thorough scrutiny to prevent conflicts with existing legislation and ensure that it achieves its intended objectives.
The sponsor of the bill and Chairman of the House Committee on Health, Wahab Haruna, described the proposal as a critical intervention to tackle the persistent challenge of maternal mortality and morbidity in the state.
Haruna said the bill seeks to provide a legal and medical framework for termination of pregnancy by qualified medical practitioners in approved health facilities, particularly in situations where a woman’s life is at risk.
Supporting the bill, Babatunde Tella said it would promote safe medical intervention in high-risk pregnancies where termination is recommended on medical grounds.
Another lawmaker, Lukman Adeleye, called for the adoption of globally accepted best practices in reproductive healthcare, noting that the proposed legislation would provide institutional safeguards for legally approved procedures.
Adeleye added that the bill could help protect victims of rape from further trauma while contributing to efforts to reduce maternal deaths.
Other lawmakers, including Oluseun Adesanya and Yusuf Sheriff, backed the proposal, stressing that it would improve access to vital information and medical services needed to protect women’s health.
The bill was subsequently referred to the House Committee on Health for further legislative consideration.
