The 2024 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) Report revealed that the country’s Total Fertility Rate (TFR) has dropped from 5.3 children per woman in 2018 to 4.8 in 2024, marking a significant demographic change over the past five years.
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Salako, made this known on Friday in Abuja during the official launch of the report.
Salako explained that the decline reflects steady progress in access to and utilisation of family planning services across the country.
He stated, “Modern contraceptive use among currently married women increased modestly to 15 per cent in 2023 from 12 percent in 2018, while satisfied demand for family planning rose to 37 percent.”
He noted that although these improvements were promising, they were still below the level required to achieve rapid social and economic development.
According to him, antenatal care coverage currently stands at 63 per cent, skilled birth attendance at 46 per cent, while postnatal care within two days after delivery increased from 38 per cent in 2018 to 42 per cent in 2024.
Salako further stated that the under-five mortality rate had fallen significantly from 132 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2018 to 110 per 1,000 in 2024, while neonatal mortality had remained almost unchanged, rising slightly from 39 to 41 per 1,000 live births during the same period.
He said, “More efforts are required to reduce neonatal deaths, which account for about 40 to 45 per cent of under-five mortality.”
The Minister added that the findings underscored urgent gaps that demand coordinated responses, noting that the ministry had already started turning them into policy actions.
He explained that initiatives such as the Maternal and Maternal Mortality Reduction Initiative and the Nigerian Child Survivor Act (2023–2025) were developed to tackle specific challenges through well-coordinated interventions.
Salako also mentioned that the data would assist sub-national governments in identifying geographical areas where urgent interventions are most needed.
The Chairman of the National Population Commission (NPC), Hon Nasir Kwarra, described the NDHS as a crucial tool for understanding population dynamics, maternal and child health, nutrition, malaria, HIV, and other key development indicators.
Kwarra stated that the survey was carried out by the NPC under the supervision of the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, with support from development partners.
He added that the success of the exercise demonstrated the value of institutional collaboration and reaffirmed that “data is not merely a technical output but a public good that empowers evidence-based governance.”
World Bank Senior Health Specialist, Dr Ritgak Tilly-Gyado, said the data would enhance the Bank’s analytical work and policy modelling in critical sectors such as health, education, and nutrition.
