Barriers to Contraception Lead to Teenage Pregnancy in Nigeria

Bisola, a 17-year-old from Agbowo, Ibadan, Oyo State, became a mother at 15 after her attempts to access contraception were thwarted by Nigeria's health system. She sought help at the Agbowo Primary Health Centre but was met with stigma and was told to return with an adult, leading her to abandon the idea.

Despite the federal government transferring N17.45 billion to Ogun, Ondo, Osun, and Oyo states for primary healthcare from 2019 to the second quarter of 2025, family planning services remain largely unavailable, with only 1,491 of the 3,446 primary healthcare centers in the Southwest providing such services. This investigation reveals that adolescent girls like Bisola face significant barriers in accessing reproductive healthcare, resulting in unintended pregnancies and hindering their educational aspirations.