The Ogun State House of Assembly on Tuesday commenced consideration of a bill seeking to establish a legal framework for the safe termination of pregnancy in specific circumstances as part of efforts to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality in the state.
The proposed legislation, titled H.B. No. 036/OG/2026, Ogun State Safe Termination of Pregnancy Law, 2026, scaled second reading during plenary at the Assembly Complex, Oke Mosan, Abeokuta.
The bill is aimed at reducing maternal morbidity and mortality, promoting safe motherhood and reproductive health rights, and providing conditions for the safe termination of pregnancy in line with legally recognised indications.
Speaking after the debate, the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Oludaisi Elemide, assured that the proposed legislation would undergo thorough legislative scrutiny to ensure that it aligns with the Constitution and other extant laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Elemide said the House Committee on Health and other relevant stakeholders would carefully examine the bill to ensure it achieved its objectives without creating legal conflicts.
He said, “The bill will undergo a rigorous legislative process to ensure that its provisions do not conflict with existing laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and other extant legislations.”
According to him, the proposed law is intended to help reduce avoidable maternal deaths while providing an appropriate legal framework for addressing pregnancy related medical emergencies.
Earlier, the sponsor of the bill and Chairman of the House Committee on Health, Hon. Wahab Haruna, described the legislation as a critical intervention to tackle the persistent challenge of maternal mortality and morbidity in the state.
Haruna explained that the bill sought to establish a clear legal and medical framework under which the termination of pregnancy could be carried out by qualified medical practitioners in approved health facilities, particularly where the life of a pregnant woman is at risk.
He said the legislation would ensure that such medical procedures are conducted within legally recognised circumstances.
Contributing to the debate, Hon. Babatunde Tella said the bill would promote safe medical intervention in high risk pregnancies where pregnancy termination is medically recommended.
Also speaking, Hon. Lukman Adeleye stressed the need for Ogun State to adopt globally accepted best practices in reproductive healthcare.
He noted that the bill would provide legal and institutional frameworks for safe pregnancy termination in legally recognised circumstances.
Adeleye added that the proposed law would also protect victims of rape from further trauma and contribute to reducing maternal mortality.
Other lawmakers, including Hon. Oluseun Adesanya and Hon. Yusuf Sheriff, expressed support for the bill, saying it would improve access to critical information and medical interventions required to protect women’s health.
Following the debate, the House committed the bill to the House Committee on Health for further legislative action.
