# North Nigeria bears most maternal deaths

> Northern states account for 75% of Nigeria's recorded maternal deaths in health facilities.
- Title: North Nigeria bears most maternal deaths | Shortify
- Summary: Northern states account for 75% of Nigeria's recorded maternal deaths in health facilities.
- Keywords: nigeria, maternal deaths, northwest, northeast, maternal mortality ratio, health facilities, maternal health, maternal mortality, Premium Times Nigeria
- Source: Premium Times Nigeria — https://premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/925047-north-accounts-for-most-of-nigerias-recorded-maternal-deaths-report.html
- Author: Oluwakemi Adelagun
- Published: 2026-11-13T21:08:20+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: nigeria, maternal deaths, northwest, northeast, maternal mortality ratio, health facilities, maternal health, maternal mortality, news, politics
## Report highlights maternal deaths
Nigeria recorded thousands of maternal deaths in health facilities between January and September 2026.
## Northwest and Northeast zones bear burden
The Northwest and Northeast geopolitical zones accounted for about three-quarters of reported maternal deaths in health facilities.
## Rural vs urban disparities
Rural women recorded a maternal mortality ratio of 656 deaths per 100,000 live births, compared with 444 in urban areas.
## National maternal mortality ratio
Nigeria's maternal mortality ratio is 572 deaths per 100,000 live births, above the SDG target of 70.
## Global maternal burden
Nigeria accounts for 12% of global maternal, stillbirth and neonatal deaths despite contributing only 6% of global live births.
## Maternal deaths decline trend
Maternal deaths in health facilities fell from 4,455 in 2025 to 5,391 in 2024, then to 947 by third quarter of 2026.
## Northern states bear highest burden
Kano, Borno, Jigawa, Yobe and Katsina recorded the highest maternal mortality burden in northern states.
## Southern states low numbers
Osun, Abia, Enugu, Ekiti and Bayelsa reported fewer than 50 maternal deaths each in 2026.
## Maternal morbidity cases
Approximately 3,060 women were diagnosed with vesicovaginal fistula (VVF) in 2026, down from 4,350 in 2025.
## Surgical repairs decline
1,737 women underwent VVF surgical repair in 2026, representing 56.8% of diagnosed cases.
## Northern zones highest VVF burden
The Northwest and Northeast zones recorded 1,420 and 982 VVF cases respectively in 2026.
## Maternal deaths trend
Maternal deaths declined by 40% to 947 in the third quarter of 2026, down from 1,400 in the second quarter of 2:2024.
## Maternal mortality ratio decline
The maternal mortality ratio fell to 128 deaths per 100,000 live births in the third quarter of 2026.
## Maternal health challenges
Nigeria's maternal mortality ratio remains a major public health concern despite reported declines.
## Key takeaway

Nigeria's Northwest and Northeast zones recorded 75% of facility-reported maternal deaths in 2026.