Kogi Assembly moves to guarantee free healthcare for pregnant women, newborns

…as bill scales second reading

Kogi State House of Assembly has given second reading to a bill seeking to provide free maternal and neonatal healthcare services for pregnant women and newborns in all state -owned health facilities, as part of efforts to reduce maternal and infant mortality across the state.

The bill, titled “A Bill for a Law to Provide for Free Maternal and Neonatal Healthcare Services for Pregnant Women and Newborn Children in State -Owned Health Facilities in Kogi State and Other Matters Connected Therewith, 2025,” scaled second reading during plenary on Tuesday in Lokoja.

Umar Yahaya, member representing Omala State Constituency, who led the debate, said the bill seeks to remove financial barriers that prevent women and newborns from accessing life -saving healthcare services.

He pointed out that it provides a comprehensive framework for free maternal and neonatal healthcare, including the establishment of an implementation committee, funding mechanisms, regulatory oversight, accountability measures and enforcement provisions.

He said, “The proposed law will guarantee free antenatal care, skilled delivery services, including caesarean sections, emergency obstetric care, neonatal treatment, immunisation, essential drugs, diagnostic services and comprehensive newborn care in government -owned health facilities.

He described the bill as a critical intervention for safe motherhood, noting that Nigeria accounts for about 14 per cent of global maternal deaths. In comparison, only about 46 per cent of births are attended by skilled health personnel, exposing many women to avoidable risks during pregnancy and childbirth.

He argued that the high cost of maternal healthcare remains a major obstacle to access, forcing many families to delay or forgo treatment, often with fatal consequences for mothers and their babies.

Yahaya cited reported cases in Kogi where pregnant women allegedly died after failing to meet financial requirements for treatment, stressing that such deaths were preventable if timely healthcare had been accessible without upfront payment.

He commended the state government’s Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative and other health interventions, adding that a legal framework was needed to guarantee sustainability, uniform implementation and accountability in maternal healthcare delivery.

Describing the bill as a moral obligation and public health necessity, Yahaya urged lawmakers to support its speedy passage, saying it would ensure that no pregnant woman or newborn in Kogi is denied life -saving healthcare because of inability to pay.

Seconding the motion for adoption of the bill, Lawal Akus (APC-Ankpa 1) urged the House to pass the bill in view of its importance in securing maternal and neonatal healthcare, especially in rural communities.

In his ruling, Speaker Aliyu Umar Yusuf said many pregnant women had lost their lives because they could not afford the required deposits for treatment.

He said, “It will take somebody from a rural community like mine to appreciate the quantum of lives lost to maternal and neonatal mortality and the importance of this bill”.

After overwhelming voice votes in favour of the bill, it was read for the second time, and the Speaker Aliyu Umar Yusuf referred it to the House’s joint Committees on Health and Judiciary for further legislative consideration.