Former First Lady of Ondo State, Dr. (Mrs.) Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, has urged female lawmakers in the 10th National Assembly to prioritise legislation that guarantees full funding, accountability, and effective monitoring of maternal health services in Nigeria.
In an open letter dated September 4, 2025, and forwarded to The Nation, she expressed grief over the tragic case of an Abuja woman who lost her twins after being denied care at multiple hospitals.
Anyanwu-Akeredolu blamed Nigeria’s high maternal mortality rate on inadequate funding and lack of accountability in the health sector.
She called on female senators and representatives, including Ireti Heebah Kingibe, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, Mariam Onuoha, Kafilat Ogbara, and others, to urgently address the crisis.
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She tasked them with ensuring that no hospital turns away women in labor, pushing for stronger legislation to secure maternal health funding, exercising oversight over state and local governments to improve primary healthcare, and rallying support for the Constitution Alteration Bill 2024 (HB 1349) to increase women’s representation in parliament.
“Representation without impact is meaningless. Nigerian women deserve leaders who will speak and act decisively to protect them. History will not be kind to silence,” she warned.