Examining the Reproductive Rights in the Wake of COVID-19 Pandemic in Nigeria

Abstract

The prospect of achieving sustainable reproductive rights protection in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria has remained an intractable problem. To identify and recognize reproductive rights, it is necessary to comprehend that reproductive right embraces certain human rights recognized in national and international laws, including international human rights’ documents. This paper examines the existing Nigeria laws on reproductive and health rights and ascertains the extent to which it has continually and predictably addressed the reproductive rights protection problem. There is a significant protection gap in the national human rights architecture. At the international level, among the poorer adolescent girls between the age of 15-19 years, it frequently results in early pregnancy and, of course, unsafe abortion. Thus, this gap relates in particular to questions on lack of access to family planning services. This paper argues that improvement of reproductive and sexual health goes far beyond the right to life and the right to health of women and girls. To guarantee Nigeria's reproductive rights, a more integral response to these critical human rights and development challenges can address Nigeria's protection gap. This paper adopts an analytical and qualitative approach by referring to existing pieces of literature achieved by the synthesis of ideas. This paper concludes that the adoption of a new approach to policies and programs on preventable maternal mortality and morbidity guarantees the right to attain the highest standard of sexual reproductive health in Nigeria.
 KEYWORDS: Reproductive Rights, Health Issues, COVID-19 Pandemic, Nigeria.