Contraception
Free or heavily subsidised, with implants widely available, though stock-outs persist in some states.
Contraception is free or heavily subsidised through public facilities and social marketing programmes, with implants widely available. Commodity supply has improved through national and donor-funded programmes, though stock-outs persist in some states.
Key points
| Free commodities | Contraceptives are supplied free through public primary health centres |
|---|---|
| Task shifting | Community health extension workers may provide injectables and implants |
| Self-injection | The subcutaneous injectable can be self-administered after training |
| Stock-outs | A recurring problem at facility level |
In practice
- Ask about self-injectable contraception if repeated facility visits are difficult.
- Check stock before travelling: call the facility or ask a community health worker.
Worth knowing
There is no legal requirement for a husband's consent, though many facilities ask. The national guidelines say the opposite — cite them if needed.
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Abortion
The criminal codes allow abortion only to save the woman's life, but post-abortion care is a duty owed to everyone.
Abortion is prohibited under the Criminal Code in the southern states and the Penal Code in the northern states, except to save the life of the pregnant woman. Lagos State has issued clinical guidelines clarifying when the legal exception applies. Unsafe abortion is a significant contributor to maternal mortality, and post-abortion care is part of national emergency obstetric services.
Key points
| Legal basis | Penal legislation, read together with the Constitution and national clinical guidelines |
|---|---|
| Post-abortion care | Part of essential health services; must be provided without conditions |
| Contraception | Legal and provided through national family planning programmes |
| Practical barrier | Uncertainty among providers about the scope of the legal exception |
| Maputo Protocol | Ratified. Under its article 14(2)(c), States undertake to authorise medical abortion following sexual assault, rape or incest, or where the pregnancy puts at risk the mother's mental or physical health or the life of either mother or foetus |
| Young people | Adolescent access is a recognised gap in national strategies |
| Two regimes | The Criminal Code applies in the south, the Penal Code in the north, with different wording |
| Ground | Preservation of the mother's life |
| State guidelines | Attempts to publish clinical guidelines have been withdrawn under pressure |
In practice
- Go to a public facility for complications; treatment is a medical duty and must not be withheld.
- Family planning services are free or subsidised in public primary health centres.
Worth knowing
The divergence between the northern and southern codes means the applicable wording depends on where you are, not on your own state of origin.
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Parents: a teenager’s first relationship
Nigeria has a national adolescent health policy and youth-friendly service guidelines, but delivery varies enormously between states and between facilities. There is no legal barrier to a young person obtaining contraception, and pharmacies and patent medicine vendors supply it widely; the obstacle is the reception at a clinic and, in the northern states, the social context. Non-governmental providers fill much of the gap.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a legal age limit for contraception in Nigeria?
No statutory age limit for obtaining contraceptives, though service guidelines assume adolescent-friendly provision. Condoms and emergency contraception are sold in pharmacies and by patent medicine vendors without a prescription.
Where is the most approachable service?
Non-governmental clinics and the youth-friendly centres supported by international programmes, which are used to seeing unmarried young people. Availability is concentrated in Lagos, Abuja and the larger southern cities.
The general article: Parents: a teenager’s first relationship · Compare with another country
Sexual orientation
A 2014 statute prohibits same-sex marriage and civil unions, criminalises membership of or support for organisations, and punishes public displays of affection, in addition to existing criminal code provisions on same-sex acts. In the northern states applying sharia criminal law, the theoretical maximum penalty is death, though such sentences have not been carried out. Arrests and mass detentions occur, and extortion is widespread.
Nigeria's Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act of 2013 goes far beyond criminalising conduct: it prohibits same-sex marriage, any public show of affection, and the registration or operation of organisations, with penalties for anyone who supports or witnesses them. Northern states applying Sharia provide for more severe penalties. The practical effect is that no support infrastructure can operate openly and that extortion is widespread.
Key points
| Statute | The 2014 Act criminalises unions, organisations and public support |
|---|---|
| Penalties | Up to fourteen years under the federal statute |
| Sharia states | Theoretical capital penalty in northern states applying sharia criminal law |
| Organisations | Membership and support are themselves criminalised |
| Extortion | Widespread, frequently organised through dating applications |
| Health care | Services continue to operate, generally without requiring disclosure |
| Travellers | The law applies to visitors and foreign residents alike |
In practice
- Do not keep messages, images or application profiles on your phone that could expose you.
- Treat online meetings with strangers as high risk: organised extortion through this route is common.
- Health and testing services remain accessible and do not require a declaration.
- If arrested, ask for a lawyer and do not sign anything you have not read.
Cost and coverage
Health services remain low cost; legal defence is expensive, though some organisations fund it.
Where to go
- Human rights organisations, including from outside the country.
- Lawyers with experience of these prosecutions.
Worth knowing
Because supporting an organisation is itself an offence, community structures operate informally. Extortion, not prosecution, is the most frequent harm, and it nearly always begins with a phone.
Frequently asked questions
What does the 2013 Act actually prohibit?
Same-sex marriage or civil union, with fourteen years' imprisonment; the registration or operation of gay organisations and clubs, and their support, with ten years; and public displays of affection between same-sex partners, also with ten years. It criminalises association and advocacy, not only conduct.
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Drugs and controlled substances
Possession, trafficking and importation are offences under the NDLEA Act, with treatment mostly in the main cities.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, Cap. N30, sets the rules. Possession, trafficking and importation carry lengthy terms, with a minimum of fifteen years for trafficking under the Act. The NDLEA also runs counselling and rehabilitation centres in every state, and a national helpline. Cannabis is widely cultivated in the south-west, and tramadol imported without authorisation is the principal medicine of misuse.
Key points
| Main statute | The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, Cap. N30 |
|---|---|
| Personal possession | Fine or imprisonment depending on the statute and the quantity |
| Trafficking | Long terms of imprisonment; life in several jurisdictions |
| Treatment | National psychiatric hospital and a small number of specialised units |
Where to go
- NDLEA national toll-free helpline, and state counselling centres
The general article: Drugs and controlled substances · Compare with another country
Alcohol and tobacco
A 2015 federal tobacco act with graphic warnings, and a long-running attempt to phase out alcohol sold in sachets.
Nigeria's National Tobacco Control Act sets out graphic warnings, advertising bans and smoke-free places, with implementation uneven across states.
The National Tobacco Control Act of 2015 gave Nigeria a framework broadly in line with international standards, with graphic warnings introduced from 2019 and restrictions on advertising and public-place smoking. Enforcement is the weak point: single cigarettes are sold everywhere despite the prohibition. On alcohol, the regulator has been trying for years to phase out spirits sold in sachets and small bottles, a measure repeatedly postponed under industry and employment pressure.
Key points
| Single sticks | Widespread; they defeat warnings and age restrictions |
|---|---|
| Advertising | Prohibited or heavily restricted |
| Informal alcohol | A large share of consumption, outside any quality control |
| Methanol poisoning | Recurrent incidents linked to informally distilled spirits |
| Cessation | Limited services, concentrated in referral hospitals |
Recent changes
Graphic health warnings have been in force since 2019, and the phase-out of sachet alcohol has been announced and deferred more than once; the latest timetable remains contested between the regulator and manufacturers.
Frequently asked questions
Is it legal to sell single cigarettes in Nigeria?
No. The 2015 Act requires tobacco to be sold in complete packs, precisely because single sticks make cigarettes affordable to young people. In practice single-stick sales are ubiquitous and enforcement is limited to occasional operations.
What is the sachet alcohol ban?
A move by the food and drug regulator to prohibit spirits sold in small sachets and PET bottles, on the ground that they put high-strength alcohol within reach of minors at pocket-money prices. The deadline has been pushed back several times after objections from manufacturers and unions.
The general article: Alcohol and tobacco · Compare with another country
General sources
- Nigeria.gov.ng — official government portal