Niger State Government warns over Women’s Health Data Gap, urging stronger research funding and national database development

Niger State Commissioner for Health, Murtala Bagana, on Tuesday expressed concern over Nigeria’s persistent Women’s Health Data Gap, warning that inadequate research data continues to hinder effective policies addressing women’s reproductive and menstrual health challenges.

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Bagana spoke during a stakeholders’ engagement and media interaction organised by Youterus Health in collaboration with White Ribbon Alliance Nigeria, aimed at promoting evidence-based research and policy leadership on women’s health.

The commissioner said the absence of reliable data has limited scientific research into health conditions affecting Black women, urging health agencies and the Federal Government to deploy funding and technical resources toward building a comprehensive national database.

Bagana described years of insufficient institutional attention to women’s health as a critical setback, noting that ongoing research by White Ribbon Alliance Nigeria could provide policymakers with actionable insights to address long-standing reproductive health concerns.

“Niger State will be part of the entire exercise of White Ribbon Alliance Nigeria,” Bagana said. “As implementers of health policies, we intend to participate actively in field research and advocate adoption of the findings at the National Council on Health meeting scheduled for November 2026.”

He added that the state government plans to champion discussions arising from the study at the national level, describing the initiative as a powerful step towards evidence-driven healthcare reforms.

Bagana also commended both organisations for deepening awareness around reproductive health challenges and encouraging open conversations on issues often overlooked in public health planning.

Speaking separately, Chief Executive Officer of Youterus Health, Dr Fatou Wurie, and Executive Director of White Ribbon Alliance Nigeria, Chief Tonte Ibraye, said inadequate research data has kept many African women’s health issues shrouded in silence.

The organisations called for African-led research tailored specifically to uterine health conditions affecting women across the continent, stressing that it was time to “unmute the womb”.

Wurie revealed troubling statistics showing Nigerian women develop uterine fibroids significantly earlier than women in Western countries, with cases commonly occurring between ages 35 and 37 compared with 40 to 46 elsewhere.

She further disclosed that 57.4 per cent of Nigerian adolescent girls experience heavy menstrual bleeding, while delays in seeking medical care often exceed two decades due to poor awareness and limited screening structures.

According to Wurie, the absence of a national screening programme, patient registries and dedicated research funding continues to leave women’s health under-prioritised, under-researched and insufficiently measured nationwide.

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Health stakeholders at the engagement agreed that closing the Women’s Health Data Gap would strengthen policymaking, improve early diagnosis and ultimately deliver better health outcomes for Nigerian women.