Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to promote access to safe abortion and post-abortion care in Nigeria.

The UK does not provide direct support for abortion or post-abortion care in Nigeria. The UK-funded Lafiya programme supports strengthening health systems, as well as a broad range of primary health care interventions that includes maternal and child health, family planning, and HIV and AIDS response.

The UK's Women's Integrated Sexual Health (WISH) programme, which works across 17 African countries including Nigeria, has prevented 5.9 million unsafe abortions since 2018. This £260 million programme delivers voluntary family planning services and reproductive health and rights, with a focus on reaching those most in need - young people, women living in extreme poverty and people with disabilities. It has also prevented 16.5 million unintended pregnancies, supported 9.5 million women and girls to use modern methods of contraception, and averted 45,080 maternal deaths.

The UK funded Global Financing and Reproductive Health Supplies programme (through support to FP2030 and UNAIDS) also plays a vital role in strengthening countries' own ability to deliver life-saving maternal, reproductive and child health services.