Recent figures indicate that Nigeria has one of the highest maternal mortality ratios, 914 per 100,000 live births, estimated to account for 19 per cent of the global maternal deaths.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), every day in Nigeria, about 154 women between the ages of 15 and 45 years die from preventable causes linked to pregnancy and childbirth. Northern Nigeria has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world, with approximately 1,012 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births.