UPR Sexual Rights Database

National Report:
Para 101) Government has also articulated effective policies, guidelines and interventions which are harmonized within the National Strategic Health Development Plan (NSHDP 2010-2015). Within the NSHDP, a number of specific intervention programmes have been articulated and are being implemented to scale up the attainment of MDGs 4 and 5. The interventions are the following: Campaign on Accelerated Reduction on Maternal Mortality (CARMMA) to create awareness on promoting maternal and child health, Institutionalization of Bi-annual Maternal Newborn and Child Health Week for improving MNCH services, establishment of the IMNCH-MDG Budget line, Global London Summit July 2012 on Family Planning during which the Government of Nigeria increased its commitments by 300% on funding family planning programme, Child survival programme under which government has resolved to develop a National Roadmap that will guide actions for reducing child mortality to at most 20/1000 live births by the year 2035.

Para 102) Government has further made concerted efforts through various health related projects and programmes such as National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), the saving of one million lives initiative which was launched in October 2012, the SURE-P MCH which is a conditional cash transfer programme designed to assist women to receive adequate health care services during pregnancy, child birth and delivery, procurement and distribution of Emergency Obstetrics drugs namely Magnesium Sulphate and Misoprostol, while capacity building initiatives are ongoing for skilled birth attendants on life saving skills on MNCH interventions.

Para 103) Government has revised the following policies and guidelines in line with emerging Global Maternal Newborn and Child Health issues to bolster the national health system. The policies and guidelines include: Revised National Reproductive Health Policy, 2010; Reproductive Health Commodity Security Strategic Plan, 2011-2015; Strategic Framework on Obstetric Fistula, 2011-2015; Modified Life Saving Skills (MLSS), Life Saving Skills (LSS), Expanded Life Saving Skills (ELSS); National Family Planning/Reproductive Health Services Protocols and Policy guidelines and Standards of Practice in line with WHO 2008 MEC; Training Manual on the use of Magnesium Sulphate in the management of eclampsia and the use of Misoprostol for the management of postpartum hemorrhage; Family Planning training manual for physicians and Nurse Midwives; Child health Policy under review; Integrated Management of Childhood Illness; Community Integrated Management of Childhood Illness; Guidelines and Training Manual for Community Management of Acute Malnutrition; Infant and Young Child Feeding Policy and guideline; Integrated Community Case Management; Essential Newborn Care Manual and Programme management Modules for MNCH programmes.

Para 104) In 2009, eight (8) rounds of Polio Campaigns were conducted and many children under five (5) years were vaccinated with OPV; 2,630 midwives were deployed to the 36 states of the Federation under the Midwives Service Scheme which consists of 249 clusters with 1,000 Primary Health Centres and General Hospitals as referral centres surrounded by 4 Primary Health Centres; Routine Immunization Vaccines and Cold chain rehabilitation systems were procured and distributed; HIV/Cancer Research Centre was established at the National Hospital, Procurement and distribution of ACTs, LLITNs and Integrated Vector Control through IRS and the use of Larvicides; Maternal and Child Health Project was implemented in 11 states of the Federation in which 11,115,725 pregnant women and children under five (5) accessed the services; 48 VVF Surgeons were trained; and 6 Sickle Cell Centres were established in 6 Federal Medical Centres.

Para 105) In 2010, Four (4) rounds of maternal and neonatal tetanus campaigns were conducted and about 15,313,604 women of child bearing age were vaccinated; 40 General Hospitals with 160 Primary Health Centres were connected with ICT, 1,370 midwives were deployed to 36 states of the Federation; 500,000 mama kits were procured and distributed under the Emergency Life Saving Scheme (ELSS) and 163 medical officers were trained; Procurement and distribution of routine immunization Vaccines and Cold chain rehabilitation; 8,252,000 doses of BCG, 6,566,400 doses of DPT, 14,000,010 doses of TT and 10,500,000 doses of HBV were procured; Procurement and distribution of ACTs, LLITNs and Integrated Vector Control through IRS and the use of Larvicides.

Para 110) ... The NHIS - MDG/MCH project which is currently running in twelve states of the Federation ensures the provision of free health services to pregnant women and children under the age of five. The Community Based Social Health Insurance (CBSHI) which is a form of private health insurance designed for rural dwellers and people in the informal sector was launched in 2011 by Mr. President. Some states in Nigeria have passed laws making it mandatory for all health facilities to report any maternal death when it occurs.

National Report:
Para 60) Since the establishment of the Federal Ministry of Women and Social Development and its equivalents in the States, efforts have been made to consolidate and strengthen policies and programmes which will eliminate violence against women and provide support for victims. A product of these efforts is the Violence Against Persons Bill being considered in the National Assembly.

Para 62) Under section 46 (1) of the Constitution, women who are victims of violence and discrimination may apply to a High Court for redress by way of fundamental rights enforcement proceedings in the event of the application of any law that allows violence and discrimination against them. Nigerian courts have on several occasions declared null and void all laws and customs that are not in the spirit of the Constitution in this regard.

Para 64) The Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development is engaged in continuous advocacy to legislators, policy makers and other stakeholders on the imperative to pass the CEDAW bill currently pending before the National Assembly. Government has taken necessary steps also to engage traditional and religious leaders on the importance of eradicating negative cultural practices from their communities. Some States of the federation have passed laws eradicating some of these practices, including Female Genital Mutilation and harmful widowhood rights.

Para 65) Various actions are being taken, including strengthening of laws and policies as well as their implementation, strengthening of human resources and police institutional reforms to eradicate negative cultural practices at the Federal and state levels.

Para 66) Nigeria in its efforts to improve the rights of women and ensuring that all administrative and policy bottlenecks that hinder women from exercising their rights as guaranteed under the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and other international instruments of human rights, adopted a Gender Policy by approving the establishment of Gender Desks in all Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government with a view to mainstreaming gender issues in all their activities.

Para 67) The National Orientation Agency organizes sensitization programmes for the public on the harmful effects of traditional practices against women, especially widows. Government will continue to intensify efforts to raise awareness as well as disseminate information on the value of human rights among traditional and religious leaders in order to curb negative traditional practices.

Para 73) ... The Akwa Ibom State Government has passed a law abolishing the stigmatization of any child in Akwa Ibom State as a witch: following this, several people found violating this law have been arrested.

Stakeholder Summary:
Para 53) JS 2 stated that while there was no legislation at the federal level prohibiting female genital mutilation or cutting (FGM), a number of states have adopted legislation in this regard. However, enforcement of this legislation has been a challenge.

Stakeholder Summary:
Para 7) WRAHP stated that Nigeria had ratified CEDAW in 1985 but was yet to fulfil its obligations arising from the Convention. JS10 stated that the incorporation of the provisions of the Convention into the national legislative framework through the enactment of the Gender and Equal Opportunities Bill had made little progress.

National Report:
Para 26) Section 34 (1) (a) of the Constitution protects the dignity of human person by stating that every individual is entitled to respect to the dignity of his or her person and accordingly no person shall be subjected to inhuman or degrading treatment. Nigeria has implemented this recommendation through the enactment of the Violence against Persons (Prohibition) Act 2015(VAPPA). This Act eliminates violence in private and public life; prohibit all forms of violence including physical, sexual, psychological, domestic violence; harmful traditional practices; discrimination against persons and provide maximum protection and effective remedies for victims and punishment of offenders.
Para 40) … d) The Launch of a Campaign to End Child Marriage in Nigeria and a National Strategy to End Child Marriage in Nigeria 2017-2021.
Para 54) Government has the developed the National Strategic Health Development Plan (NSHDP) 2010-2015. … The only indicator of the first plan that was met in 2015 was the adolescent birth rate which dropped from 126/1000 to 74/1000 adolescent women.
Para 56) The second plan takes a more comprehensive, inclusive and the holistic approach. It is organized along five strategic pillars; … (ii) Increased Utilization of Essential Package of Health Care Services which covers RMNCAH …
Para 57) Further, to improve exclusive breast feeding rate, the Federal Ministry of Health is collaborating with Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment to fast track the implementation of paid extension of paid maternity entitlement from 16weeks to 18weeks and continue advocacy to 24weeks (which is 6months) in line with the resolution of the 59 National Council on Health Resolution.

UN Compilation:
Para 55) CEDAW noted with concern the high rate of maternal mortality, which was partly attributable to the lack of access to skilled midwives and the high number of unsafe abortions, which itself resulted from the restrictive laws that permitted abortions only in order to save a pregnant woman’s life. UNFPA stated that in 2017, the Government had pioneered an innovative initiative to scale up the capacity of midwives.
Para 57) [CEDAW] noted with concern reports of high rates of infertility and miscarriage in Zamfara State owing to lead contamination.
Para 58) [CEDAW] noted with concern the limited use of modern forms of contraception by women and girls, the fact that Nigeria had one of the highest HIV rates in the world, which disproportionately affected women and girls, especially women in prostitution, and the prevalence of malaria.
Para 65) The Special Rapporteurs on health, on sale of children and on slavery noted that the Violence against Persons (Prohibition) Act prohibited all forms of violence and criminalized marital rape, female genital mutilation, forceful ejection from home and harmful widowhood practices. The Special Rapporteurs recommended that Nigeria ensure that the Act was adopted in those states that had yet to do so.
Para 67) Referring to the relevant recommendations from the previous review, the United Nations country team stated that the Violence against Persons (Prohibition) Act prohibited female genital mutilation, which had been banned in 12 of the 36 states. The country team considered the implementation of those recommendations to be ongoing.

Stakeholder Summary:
Para 67) JS1 stated that maternal health remained underfunded. Since the Abuja Declaration in 2001, Nigeria had not attained the pledged funding benchmark of 15 percent of the annual budget.
Para 68) JS16 stated that there was a lack of access to adequate healthcare, family planning services, counselling and education for rural women. ADF stated that Nigeria must focus on helping women to get through pregnancy and childbirth safely. Women should be provided with access to knowledge-based education about their bodies, healthy behaviours and responsible decision-making.
Para 69) JS1 stated that the maternal mortality rate had remained high. Accessibility and availability of quality maternal health care had been impeded by the cost of services, the distance to health facilities, and the inadequate and long waiting times at public health facilities. JS10 stated that maternal health had become a major challenge for “community women” in the Niger Delta, who had depended on traditional birth attendants for maternity services. WRAHP stated that untrained traditional birth attendants were responsible for over 35 percent of the deliveries, which contributed to the high rates of maternal mortality.
Para 70) JS1 stated that women and girls in conflict zones had continued to face numerous reproductive rights violations, including child and forced marriage, sexual and gender based violence, unsafe abortions and lack of access to family planning information and services.
Para 71) JS1 stated that access to safe legal abortion and post-abortion care had remained lacking. Abortion laws had remained restrictive and had resulted in clandestine and unsafe abortions. Low contraceptive usage had been a leading and contributing factor to the high rates of unwanted and unplanned pregnancies.
Para 80) PRAWA stated that female genital mutilation was a common practice in many states in Nigeria. Such a practice was an abuse of the rights of victims to reproductive health and in severe cases could lead to their death. The Violence against Persons (Prohibition) Act (2015) recognizes female genital mutilation as an offence. However, according to PJ, the legislation had not been effectively implemented. JS10 stated that there had been a low rate of prosecution for alleged acts of female genital mutilation.
Para 88) JS12 expressed concern about the high rates of child marriage and the need to address the underlying factors that contributed to early marriage. JS16 stated that state legislation on the minimum age of marriage varied from state to state.

Stakeholder Summary:
Para 64) JS13 stated that LGBT persons had been subjected to forced, violent and arbitrary evictions.