Rising childbirth costs are placing increasing financial pressure on expectant mothers and their families across Nigeria, with many now struggling to afford antenatal care, delivery services, and emergency obstetric care.
For many families, what should be a joyful experience has become a financial burden, forcing some to consider unsafe alternatives, including home births.
One nursing mother, Adeola Laolu, described how what she expected to be an affordable delivery at a government hospital turned into an expensive ordeal.
She said the hospital bill continued to rise without warning, increasing from about 55,000 naira to 65,000 naira, with additional payments required for drugs, laboratory tests, medical consumables, and other supplies.
Her husband, Akin, said the family faced repeated requests for payments throughout the delivery process, leaving them with little choice but to continue spending to ensure the safety of both mother and child.
The couple also expressed disappointment with the condition of the hospital, describing overcrowded wards, leaking roofs, broken windows, mosquito infestation, and a lack of baby cots despite the high cost of treatment.
Adeola added that while she was impressed by the professionalism and prompt response of the medical personnel, the hospital environment and quality of meals provided to recovering mothers fell below expectations.
She also claimed that women undergoing Caesarean Sections at some public hospitals could spend between 700,000 and 800,000 naira, with some families reporting costs exceeding one million naira.
Speaking on the issue, medical expert Akinde said the cost of Caesarean Sections varies across states and between public and private hospitals.
According to him, many public hospitals in the South-West charge between 150,000 and 200,000 naira for the procedure, while fees in private hospitals range from about 1.5 million naira to as much as 3 million naira, depending on the facility.
He explained that private hospitals receive no government funding and must cover operational costs such as staff salaries, electricity, water supply, security, and taxes.
Akinde warned that the high cost of emergency obstetric care remains one of the major factors contributing to Nigeria’s high maternal mortality rate, as many women delay seeking medical attention until complications become life-threatening.
