Lagos and Osun states have outperformed their peers in antenatal care coverage, with at least four visits by 2025, and have also recorded lower under-five mortality rates, according to the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) 2024 report.
The two states recorded 94 percent and 92 percent antenatal care coverage respectively, exceeding the National Population Policy (NPP) target of 72 percent and the national target of 82 percent by 2030, indicating robust access to maternal healthcare, the report stated. Meanwhile, Sokoto (22.7 percent), Zamfara (21.5 percent) and Kebbi (14 percent) recorded the lowest antenatal care (ANC) coverage, far below the NPP national target.
This is also reflected in the under-five mortality rate, as states with higher antenatal care coverage recorded lower under-five mortality rates compared to states with low antenatal care coverage. For instance, Sokoto recorded 109 under-five deaths per 1,000 live births, Zamfara recorded 119 per 1,000 live births, while Kebbi, which has the lowest antenatal care coverage in the country, recorded a very high under-five mortality rate of 159 deaths per 1,000 live births, according to the NDHS.
