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International Handbook of Adolescent Pregnancy pp 485–504Cite as

Adolescent Pregnancy in Nigeria

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Abstract

The people of Nigeria are young, and about 45 % are 15 years of age or younger, while 57 % are under the age of 24; however, less than 50 % of Nigerian’s children attend elementary school. In Nigeria, over 46 % of all girls marry before the age of 18. Yet, among the poorest 20 % of these girls, 76.5 % marry before the age of 18. Some 52 % of Nigerians live in rural areas. This is similar to the percentage living in rural areas worldwide (50 %). In the USA, only 20 % of people live in rural areas. Rural versus urban are important in terms of attitudes of the people, the delivery of services, and economics. Some 84 % of Nigerians live on less than $2 (US$) per day; worldwide, 48 % of people live on less than $2 (US$) per day. This level of poverty is reflected in the maternal mortality rate in Nigeria, which is estimated to be 1,100 per 100,000 live births; an adolescent girl in Nigeria who becomes pregnant is almost three times more likely to die than older females between 20 and 34 years of age. Similar to conventional European society, sexual expression, pregnancy, and childbearing among traditional Nigerian societies were only sanctioned within the institution of marriage. When the wife or the husband was childless or could not have the number of children that the married couple desired, however, there were culturally approved remedies. Among some traditional Nigerian people, one practices to ensure children in most pre-colonial Nigerian cultural (i.e., Akoko Edo, Igbo, and Ibibio societies) was ritualistic bride-capture. If the traditional approach to marriage negotiations failed or were prohibited by the potential bride’s family or the bride herself, bride-capture could be arranged. A more common tradition that continues to be practiced today is the taking of a child bride. As a developing country, Nigeria continues to make progress despite periods of political unrest and corruption that prevents the majority of Nigeria’s people from sharing in Nigeria’s oil wealth. As a result, health care is limited and fails adolescent girls who become pregnant and died of complications before, during, and after childbirth.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Anne and Henry Zarrow School of Social Work, Tulsa Campus, 4502 E. 41st St. Room 1J31, OK, Tulsa, USA

    Showa Obmabegho & Andrew L. Cherry

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  1. Showa Obmabegho
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  2. Andrew L. Cherry
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Correspondence to Showa Obmabegho .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Oklahoma, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA

    Andrew L. Cherry

  2. University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, USA

    Mary E. Dillon

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Obmabegho, S., Cherry, A.L. (2014). Adolescent Pregnancy in Nigeria. In: Cherry, A., Dillon, M. (eds) International Handbook of Adolescent Pregnancy. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-8026-7_26

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-8026-7_26

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