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VASA Will Help Reduce Neonatal, Child And Maternal Mortality In Nigeria -NPC

Published

1 year ago

November 23, 2024

By Joel Ajayi

In it’s continuous effort and determination in reducing Neonatal, Child and maternal mortality to the barest minimum in Nigeria, the National Population Commission, NPC, has embarked on 2024 Verbal and Social Autopsy Study, VASA, a study it believed will go a long way to assist policy makers and other Stakeholders.

Speaking at the press conference on Friday, in Abuja, Chairman of the NPC, Honourable Nasir Isa Kwarra, pointed out that under-5 mortality in the country is high at 110 deaths per 1,000 births, according to UN report.

Kwarra, said that the VASA data will be used by policy makers and other stakeholders to formulate policies, design and implement programmes that will go a long way in reducing Neonatal, Child and Maternal Mortality to the barest minimum in Nigeria.

According to him, VASA is a research study that seeks to obtain data to determine the causes and contributory factors to deaths in children under-5 years of age and in women of reproductive age.

In this vein, he said that “the objectives of the study includes the provision of up-to-date information on early childhood and maternal mortality, cultural, behavioural, social and health system factors of neonatal (death of a live-born infant within the first 28 days of life), infant and under-five mortality, and women of reproductive age. The study will be conducted in households where the deaths were recorded and consent received for revisit during the 2023-2024 Nigeria Demographic Health Survey, NDHS.

“As the agency of government with the constitutional mandate of generating and providing demographic data for planning purposes, the National Population Commission in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and other key Ministries, Departments and Agencies is conducting the 2024 VASA study to assist policy makers with reliable data to plan and formulate policies for the health sector in relation to maternal and child health in Nigeria.

“The result of the study will provide national and zonal level estimates of the major causes of under-five and maternal mortality in the country. Furthermore, it will make available patterns of care-seeking, social factors, and interventions received as related to deaths in children less than five years of age, along with qualitative narratives of factors associated with these patterns”.

Besides, the chairman said “as a follow up to the 2023-2024 NDHS, one randomly selected death in a household with an under-5 death were sampled from the NDHS. A total of 2,342 adult female deaths and 2,537 under-5 mortality cases were selected out of which 31 percent of the under-5 deaths (969) are Neonates while 69 percent (1,567) are children.

“For the 2024 VASA study, there will be two sets of interviewing teams on the field. These are qualitative and quantitative teams. The quantitative team will focus more on responses from caregivers in the households while the qualitative team will focus on group discussions and in-depth interviews within the community in addition to the household interviews.

“Based on the reported cases of under-5 deaths per state, 26 teams each made up of 4 female interviewers, one team supervisor, one quality manager were selected to move round the country for the data collection exercise that began on November 4th and will last till December 15th 2024.

“There is no gain stating the fact that under-5 mortality in Nigeria is high at 110 deaths per 1000 births according to the 2023-2024 NDHS. What needs stating unequivocally is that every available tool must be deployed to combat and curb the challenge in our society. This therefore, brings us to the imperatives of generating reliable data on the causes and determinants of neonatal, infant and child mortality in Nigeria.

“The Commission is strategically prepared and committed to generating this data to aid planning in the health sector, to this end, all necessary steps have been put in place to make sure that the 2024 VASA survey is successfully implemented”.

Kwarra, then urged government officials at the states and local government levels, security agencies, traditional rulers, religious leaders, community leaders and members of the press to give all necessary support to the success of the exercise.

“It is in realisation of this, that I wish to call on the patriotic fervor of members of the fourth estate of the realm to take the message to all the nooks and crannies of the country by propagating the narrative of cooperation and ownership by the citizens, to participate in the 2024 VASA survey to generate credible data for effective planning and sustainable development in Nigeria”.

Meanwhile, the 2024 edition of the VASA survey is the third in the series conducted by the National Population Commission. The first time the study was conducted in Nigeria was in the year 2014 and subsequently in 2019.

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Amb Lion Ogorry Files Landmark Lawsuit Against Sahara Reporters, Sowore For Misleading and Malicious Publication Endangering National Security

Published

14 hours ago

November 30, 2025

The Gleamer

Ambassador Adebayo Lion Ogorry, a renowned public advocacy practitioner and activist, today announced the filing of a high-profile lawsuit against Sahara Reporters Ltd. and its publisher, Omoyele Sowore, in the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

The suit, numbered FCT/HC/CV/4767/2025, accuses the defendants of publishing a false, malicious, and reckless article that violates Nigeria’s Constitution, the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act 2015, and other laws protecting public discourse, national security, and public order.

The originating summons, filed on November 24, 2025, stems from a Sahara Reporters article titled
“EXCLUSIVE: How Tinubu’s Defence Minister Matawalle Maintains Contact With Bandit Leaders, Ordered Them To Compel Communities To Vote For APC—Former Aide,” published on November 19, 2025.

Ambassador Ogorry alleges that the publication contains grave, unfounded accusations against the Honourable Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Matawalle, claiming he maintains illicit contacts with bandit leaders, orders communities to vote for the All Progressives Congress (APC), and engages in activities that undermine counter-terrorism efforts.

These claims, according to the suit, are not only false but also fabricated to incite alarm, hatred, and ill-will, while endangering national security and public safety.

In his affidavit supporting the summons, Ambassador Ogorry, a Nigerian citizen and resident of Abuja with a long-standing commitment to public order and lawful civic discourse, emphasized that the article was disseminated widely across Sahara Reporters’ website, social media channels, X.com (Twitter) account, Facebook pages, WhatsApp broadcasts, and other platforms. He described the publication as a blatant violation of Section 39(3)(a) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which prohibits speech that endangers public safety, national security, and public order. Furthermore, it contravenes Sections 24(1)(a) & (b) of the Cybercrimes Act 2015 by disseminating false, misleading, and harmful information capable of causing alarm or ill-will.

“The defendants’ reckless actions have not only tarnished the reputation of a dedicated public servant but have also compromised ongoing military operations against banditry and terrorism in Nigeria’s North-West region,” said Ambassador Ogorry. “This publication promotes distrust, exposes the Minister to risks, and undermines the morale of our armed forces engaged in counter-terrorism. It is a direct assault on our national security and the freedom of expression that must be balanced with responsibility.”

The lawsuit seeks the following reliefs from the court:
– A declaration that the publication is false, misleading, malicious, and not protected speech under Section 39(1) of the Constitution (as amended).

– A declaration that it falls within restricted speech under Section 39(3)(a), endangering public safety, national security, and public order.
– A declaration that it violates Sections 24(1)(a) & (b) of the Cybercrimes Act 2015 by prohibiting false, harmful, or misleading information.

– AN ORDER OF INJUNCTION restraining the Defendants, their agents, or privies from further publishing, distributing, circulating, or causing to be circulated the said false publication or any other malicious publication especially as it relates to and against the person of Defence Minister, Dr. Matawalle.

– An order directing the defendants to issue a public retraction of the publication and publish a full apology on their website and social media channels for 14 consecutive days.

– General and exemplary damages of N10,000,000,000 (Ten Billion Naira) for the frivolous, false, and malicious publication geared toward endangering public safety, national security, and public order.

Ambassador Ogorry highlighted that the article, based on unverified claims from an alleged “former senior aide,” lacks any official record or evidence, demonstrating the defendants’ disregard for truth and ethical journalism. He urged the court to address this as a matter of urgent national importance, citing precedents such as President F.R.N. v. ISA (2017) and Guardian Newspapers v. AIEH (2011), which affirm that freedom of expression does not protect reckless publications that threaten security.

“This lawsuit is not just about correcting a falsehood; it’s about safeguarding Nigeria’s democracy, protecting public officials from baseless attacks, and ensuring media accountability,” Ambassador Ogorry added. “Sahara Reporters and Omoyele Sowore must be held responsible for their role in spreading dangerous misinformation that could fuel terrorism and disrupt public order.”

The case is set for hearing in the Abuja Judicial Division, and Ambassador Ogorry expressed confidence in the judiciary’s ability to uphold justice and constitutional principles.

About Ambassador Adebayo Lion Ogorry
Ambassador Adebayo Lion Ogorry is a public advocacy practitioner, activist, and Nigerian citizen dedicated to promoting national security, public order, and lawful civic discourse. With a focus on protecting public discourse from malicious interference, he advocates for responsible journalism and governance.

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