The Abortion Conversation In Nigeria; Taboo Or Long Overdue?

By Chizaram Iroaganachi

Nigeria possesses some of the most restrictive abortion laws in
the world. The laws which are deeply rooted in conservative
cultural and religious beliefs make abortion a criminal offence
punishable by up to 14 years imprisonment.

The stark reality though, is that the rate of abortion in
Nigeria is on the rise with an estimated 456,000 abortions caried
out annually despite these laws. These restrictions mean that women
in Nigeria are denied access to safe abortion options and often
times opt for clandestine and dangerous means of terminating
unintended pregnancies.

It is not uncommon to hear anti-abortion supporters make
statements like “every action has its consequence” or” if you
didn’t want to get pregnant, you should have closed your legs” as
rationale for the illegality of abortion. But life happens and
unintended pregnancies occur far more often than we would want to
admit and as such, shaming women is not the solution .

I never really gave any thought to abortion until I was in my
third year at university. Then, I had a roommate who wasn’t quite a
roommate. For the purpose of this article, we shall refer to her as
Vicky. Ideally, the room ought to have been a four-man room but she
had apparently been swindled by the porters in the hostel complex
where my dorm room was situated.

Left without room or a refund and facing the possibility of
having to “float”, I and my 3 other roommates allowed her to stay
the school year with us. You can then imagine our shock when Vicky
informed us that she would also be bringing her 16-year-old sister
Tolu, to live in the room as well. We eventually agreed largely
because she was already a member of our close-knit dorm family.

Her sister had begun to live with us by mid second semester.
However, because Tolu wasn’t a student, she had a lot of spare time
on her hands and would roam the nooks and crannies of the campus.
Unfortunately, she got pregnant by a senior lecturer who took
advantage of her desperation for admission and enticed her with
promises of helping her secure admission.

It was a big scandal. Vicky and her mother were so heartbroken.
Then the question arose “what happens to the pregnancy”? It was the
first time I ever gave any real thought to abortion. Tolu’s family
decided that she should get an abortion. The next question was
‘where to safely get an abortion’? In the end, she was taken to an
auxiliary nurse who lived in one of the slums close to the
campus.

Subsequently, I have had numerous conversations with women who
have had to undergo abortions in the most unsafe and unsanitary
conditions without any proper medical attention. I’ve even heard
stories of some who have died in this process. One thing that
doesn’t cease to amaze me is how something so prevalent is such a
taboo subject. There are not enough women speaking up on their
experiences and clamoring for safer options.

Women opt for abortions for various reasons. Some due to
pregnancies arising out of sexual assault, some for physical/health
reasons and others because they simply are not ready to take on the
life altering responsibility of being a parent. Whatever the
reason, abortions take a great psychological toll and is often
accompanied by bouts of guilt which is reinforced by religious and
socio-cultural norms.

Nonetheless, the problem goes far beyond abortion and extends to
our attitude as a society towards sex and sex education, birth
control, family planning options and accessibility to these
options. In the next article, we will look at each of these
problems and consider possible reforms and solutions.

By Chizaram Iroaganachi

Nigeria possesses some of the most restrictive abortion laws in
the world. The laws which are deeply rooted in conservative
cultural and religious beliefs make abortion a criminal offence
punishable by up to 14 years imprisonment.

The stark reality though, is that the rate of abortion in
Nigeria is on the rise with an estimated 456,000 abortions caried
out annually despite these laws. These restrictions mean that women
in Nigeria are denied access to safe abortion options and often
times opt for clandestine and dangerous means of terminating
unintended pregnancies.

It is not uncommon to hear anti-abortion supporters make
statements like “every action has its consequence” or” if you
didn’t want to get pregnant, you should have closed your legs” as
rationale for the illegality of abortion. But life happens and
unintended pregnancies occur far more often than we would want to
admit and as such, shaming women is not the solution .

I never really gave any thought to abortion until I was in my
third year at university. Then, I had a roommate who wasn’t quite a
roommate. For the purpose of this article, we shall refer to her as
Vicky. Ideally, the room ought to have been a four-man room but she
had apparently been swindled by the porters in the hostel complex
where my dorm room was situated.

Left without room or a refund and facing the possibility of
having to “float”, I and my 3 other roommates allowed her to stay
the school year with us. You can then imagine our shock when Vicky
informed us that she would also be bringing her 16-year-old sister
Tolu, to live in the room as well. We eventually agreed largely
because she was already a member of our close-knit dorm family.

Her sister had begun to live with us by mid second semester.
However, because Tolu wasn’t a student, she had a lot of spare time
on her hands and would roam the nooks and crannies of the campus.
Unfortunately, she got pregnant by a senior lecturer who took
advantage of her desperation for admission and enticed her with
promises of helping her secure admission.

It was a big scandal. Vicky and her mother were so heartbroken.
Then the question arose “what happens to the pregnancy”? It was the
first time I ever gave any real thought to abortion. Tolu’s family
decided that she should get an abortion. The next question was
‘where to safely get an abortion’? In the end, she was taken to an
auxiliary nurse who lived in one of the slums close to the
campus.

Subsequently, I have had numerous conversations with women who
have had to undergo abortions in the most unsafe and unsanitary
conditions without any proper medical attention. I’ve even heard
stories of some who have died in this process. One thing that
doesn’t cease to amaze me is how something so prevalent is such a
taboo subject. There are not enough women speaking up on their
experiences and clamoring for safer options.

Women opt for abortions for various reasons. Some due to
pregnancies arising out of sexual assault, some for physical/health
reasons and others because they simply are not ready to take on the
life altering responsibility of being a parent. Whatever the
reason, abortions take a great psychological toll and is often
accompanied by bouts of guilt which is reinforced by religious and
socio-cultural norms.

Nonetheless, the problem goes far beyond abortion and extends to
our attitude as a society towards sex and sex education, birth
control, family planning options and accessibility to these
options. In the next article, we will look at each of these
problems and consider possible reforms and solutions.