Nigeria holds 2 dangerous health records in just one year – Peter Obi

Presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 election, Mr. Peter Obi, has decried the fact that Nigeria now has the unenviable record of holding two of the most dangerous health records in the world within just one year.

He described the feat as “a double tragedy, considering that health is one of the most critical measures of development.”

The former Governor of Anambra State, quoting the United Nations World Population Prospects 2025 Report, said that the first record is that “Nigeria now has the lowest life expectancy in the world, with an average of 54.6 years.” According to him, the UN Report also bluntly stated that “if you live in Nigeria, you are simply waiting to die.”

The second damning report, he said further, “shows that Nigeria is the worst country in the world to give birth, with one maternal death recorded every seven minutes.” Obi regretted that “we continue to hear heartbreaking stories of children losing their mothers during childbirth, and families losing both mother and child.”

He stressed that “These reports are not just statistics – they reflect the daily experience of Nigerian life. Though Nigeria is not officially at war, our life expectancy is now worse than that of war-torn countries like Ukraine and South Sudan, all because of poor governance and a failing health system.

“These grim realities expose misplaced priorities, bad governance, and the failure to invest in one of the most vital sectors of development: the health and well-being of our citizens. We must urgently prioritise healthcare as a cornerstone of building our dear nation,” he insisted, concluding that “A New Nigeria is Possible.”