Aaron Bawala and Sheriff Gbadamosi (Lead writers)
The patriarchal nature of many Nigerian rural communities underplays men’s role in supporting pregnant women, believing that women can manage pregnancy with little or no support from their spouses or partners.
This cultural norm can negatively affect a woman’s health-seeking behaviour, especially in settings where men control financial decisions and women are largely economically dependent on their spouses.
For instance, in northern Nigeria, household decision-making is predominantly controlled by men. This influences key aspects of family life, as decisions related to access to healthcare services, household feeding and nutrition often require male consent. Such dynamics have far-reaching consequences and are a major contributing factor to Nigeria’s high maternal mortality ratio. A pregnant woman’s health is closely tied to regular antenatal care and adequate nutrition, both of which can be delayed or denied if men are not actively supportive.
Men, therefore, have a responsibility to actively support women by enabling timely access to healthcare, ensuring adequate nutrition, providing emotional support, and advocating for improved maternal and child health during pregnancy. In 2020, Nigeria Health Watch, as part of a consortium, conducted a community-informed maternal death review supported by MSD for Mothers to investigate why women are dying while giving birth in communities. The aim was to create a sense of urgency and use the data and insights generated to drive accountability for every maternal death across the country.
The review highlighted gaps in accountability for maternal deaths in communities, and poor integration of mental health into antenatal and postnatal care. It was found that women frequently lacked emotional and practical support from their partners, contributing to poor mental health an often overlooked but critical factor in maternal well-being. When men rise to these responsibilities, they help dismantle barriers that put mothers’ lives at risk and build stronger, healthier communities where every pregnancy has a better chance of a safe outcome.
Real accounts from communities
Pregnancy is a transformative period in a woman’s life affecting her physically, psychologically, and emotionally. This period demands a strong support system to ensure access to quality healthcare services and adequate nutrition. This support is a critical link between safe delivery and survival; therefore making it essential for men to rise to the occasion with intention and commitment.
Nigeria Health Watch, through the Global Advocacy and Policy project, is implementing strategies in Kano State to help bridge these gaps. During a town hall meeting in Ghari Local Government Areas (LGAs), community members voiced similar concerns. A female community leader highlighted a socio-cultural challenge noting that many men prevent their female family members from accessing prenatal care, insisting instead on home deliveries assisted by untrained traditional birth attendants.
During another town hall meeting held in Kura LGA, Hindatu Shu’aibu Aliyu , a community member emphasised, “men in our community refuse to take their wives to health facilities until complications arise. This has cost too many lives.” These experiences reflect the realities and concerns of many women from different communities whose fates of survival during pregnancy depend on spousal support.
A hidden factor that influences pregnancy outcomes
While regular access to healthcare services during pregnancy is essential for a safe delivery, many complications experienced during labour are often linked to poor or inadequate nutrition. Pregnancy increases the body’s nutritional demands, which must be met to support foetal growth and minimise health risks. Maternal undernutrition significantly increases the risk of obstetric complications, such as preeclampsia, obstructed or prolonged labour, preterm birth, and infections, factors that contribute to maternal morbidity and mortality. Chronic undernutrition can also lead to complications that require surgical or assisted deliveries.
In Nigeria, meeting the increased nutritional demands of pregnancy is a major challenge due to widespread economic hardship. High levels of poverty, inflation, and food insecurity makes it difficult for many pregnant women, especially in rural and low-income communities, to access adequate and nutritious food.
Lack of nutritional education further exacerbate the issue. Many households prioritise quantity over quality of food, leading to diets lacking essential vitamins and minerals needed during pregnancy. As a result, the economic realities in Nigeria directly undermine maternal and foetal health, contributing to higher rates of maternal and infant mortality.
Ways men can support
Addressing these challenges requires men to be intentional about understanding the dietary needs of pregnancy, including essential nutrients such as iron, folic acid, calcium, and protein. By attending antenatal visits with their partners, where nutritional counselling is often provided, men can become better informed and play a more active role in supporting their wives to meet their daily nutritional requirements.
Furthermore, they can also challenge traditional norms that assign nutrition and household food responsibilities solely to women.
To reduce Nigeria’s maternal mortality rate, community engagement must go beyond awareness for women; it must also inspire action. Men must be sensitised, empowered, and expected to support maternal health not just as partners, but as advocates.
In Wudil LGA of Kano State, a sensitisation activity conducted by Nigeria Health Watch mobilised men to support pregnant women in accessing nutritious diets and healthcare services at Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs). Stakeholders at the event called for increased community-driven sensitisation through community forums and worship centres to strengthen awareness and support for maternal health. When men actively support maternal health, they help build stronger families, healthier communities, and a better future for all.