The Oyo State House of Assembly has assured residents of the speedy passage of the Oyo State Unplanned Pregnancy and Unsafe Abortion (Prevention and Regulation) Bill, 2025, aimed at protecting the lives and well-being of young people, particularly women and girls, across the state.
The assurance was given on Wednesday during a public hearing on the proposed legislation held at the House of Chiefs, Secretariat, Ibadan. The event attracted medical practitioners, civil society organisations, legal experts, women’s groups, youth representatives, and other stakeholders, who submitted memoranda and recommendations on the bill.
The public hearing was jointly organised by the House Committee on Health and the House Committee on Women Affairs and Community Development.
Speaking at the event, the Chairman of the House Committee on Health, Hon. Rilwan Saminu, said the bill seeks to establish a comprehensive framework for prevention, awareness creation, education, support services, regulation, and monitoring mechanisms to address the growing incidence of unplanned pregnancies and unsafe abortions.
According to him, many young girls and women face unplanned pregnancies that negatively impact their education, career prospects, family life, and future aspirations.
Hon. Saminu stressed that the Assembly would ensure that any law enacted serves the best interests of the people of Oyo State by promoting public health, protecting lives, and strengthening family and community values.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the House Committee on Women Affairs and Community Development, Hon. Olufunke Olajide, expressed confidence that contributions from stakeholders would enrich the legislative process and support the development of a healthier and more prosperous society.
She described the public hearing as a critical stage in the legislative process before the bill proceeds to its third reading.
Hon. Olajide noted that families often bear the consequences of unplanned pregnancies through school dropouts, health complications, and other challenges affecting young girls, while communities face broader social and economic burdens.
She emphasized that prevention remains the central focus of the proposed legislation and expressed optimism that the Assembly would give the bill due consideration before forwarding it to Governor Seyi Makinde for assent upon passage.
Presenting a memorandum on behalf of the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Akintunde Ayinde, advocated stronger provisions for protection, confidentiality, access to timely healthcare, and legal accountability for survivors of rape, incest, and reproductive exploitation.
The commissioner also proposed amendments aimed at improving the clarity, operational feasibility, inter-sectoral collaboration, and survivor-centred approach of the bill in line with national laws and public health standards.
Dr. Ajetunmobi noted that complications arising from induced abortions highlight the need for improved skills and appropriate technology for safe pregnancy termination procedures.
She stated that although comprehensive data on legal pregnancy terminations in Nigeria remain scarce, available evidence points to increasing cases and associated complications.
“Data on legal terminations in Nigeria are lacking, but the worsening trend and the complications that follow induced abortions indicate a lack of skills and appropriate technology for safe termination of pregnancy,” she said.
She added that comprehensive abortion care includes the provision of information, abortion management, care related to pregnancy loss and spontaneous abortion, as well as post-abortion care services.
According to her, strengthening access to comprehensive reproductive healthcare is essential to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 3 on Good Health and Well-being and Goal 5 on Gender Equality.
In its submission, the Oyo State Ministry of Justice described the bill as a timely and progressive legislative initiative capable of reducing maternal morbidity and mortality while safeguarding the reproductive rights and dignity of women and girls.
“The Oyo State Unplanned Pregnancy and Unsafe Abortion (Prevention and Regulation) Bill, 2025, is a timely and progressive legislative initiative that, if guided by necessary recommendations and thoughtfully implemented, has the potential to significantly reduce maternal morbidity and mortality in the state while protecting the reproductive rights and dignity of women and girls,” the ministry stated.
The ministry added that its recommendations were made in good faith to ensure that the final legislation is legally sound, internally consistent, and practically implementable.
Other stakeholders at the hearing also urged the Oyo State House of Assembly to carefully consider all submissions and concerns raised in order to produce a law that effectively serves the interests of the people of Oyo State while addressing critical public health challenges.
