NIGER HIGHLIGHTS LACK OF SUFFICIENT DATA FOR WOMEN’S HEALTH STUDIES
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By: Fasasi Hammad
The Niger State Government has raised concerns over the lack of sufficient data to support research on health issues affecting women.
It called on health agencies and the federal government to allocate resources and funding to establish a comprehensive database that can strengthen research on the health conditions of Black women.
The Niger State Commissioner for Health, Murtala Bagana, highlighted this during a stakeholders’ forum and media briefing focused on prioritising women’s menstrual and reproductive health through evidence-based research and policy. The event was organised by Youterus Health in partnership with White Ribbon Alliance Nigeria.
In an interview with journalists, Bagana decried what he described as “years of inadequate attention to women’s health by policymakers and government institutions,” stressing that research by White Ribbon Alliance Nigeria would provide policymakers with the insight needed to address long-standing health challenges faced by women.
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“Niger State will actively participate in the White Ribbon Alliance Nigeria initiative. As a commissioner and with my team, we aim to be directly involved in field research because we will ultimately implement its findings,” he said.
He added that the state would advocate for the adoption of the research outcomes at the National Council on Health meeting scheduled for November 2026, hoping to lead discussions on the study’s findings.
Bagana also commended Youterus Health and White Ribbon Alliance Nigeria for engaging with the state and raising awareness on women’s reproductive health issues.
Dr. Fatou Wurie, CEO of Youterus Health, and Chief Tonte Ibraye, Executive Director of White Ribbon Alliance Nigeria, noted that African women’s health challenges have often been hidden due to insufficient data.
“Because of limited data on African women’s uterine health, many issues remain shrouded in secrecy. Youterus Health, together with White Ribbon Alliance Nigeria, is calling for focused, African-led research on women’s womb health. It is time to ‘unmute the womb,’” Wurie said.
She added that prioritising women’s health is critical for generating data to support research.
“Nigerian women tend to develop fibroids earlier than women in Western countries. While the average age in Western populations is 40–46 years, Nigerian women develop fibroids between 35 and 37 years.
“Additionally, 57.4 per cent of Nigerian adolescent girls experience heavy menstrual bleeding, and the average delay between symptom onset and seeking medical care exceeds 20 years.
“The absence of a national screening programme, patient registries to track outcomes, and dedicated research funding for uterine health in Nigeria means women’s health remains under-prioritised, under-researched, and under-measured,” Wurie emphasised.
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