Newborn deaths rise to 41 per 1,000 as under-five mortality falls, FG says

Nigeria is losing fewer children under five than it did six years ago, but more babies are dying in their first 28 days of life, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare said on Thursday in Abuja.

Citing the 2024 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey, the ministry said under-five mortality fell from 132 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2018 to 110 in 2024. Over the same period, neonatal mortality rose from 39 to 41 deaths per 1,000 live births.

The figures were presented by the ministry's permanent secretary, Daju Kachollom, who represented the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad Ali Pate, at the 2026 National Health Promotion Day briefing. The event was themed "Health Promotion: Owning My Health", with the slogan "Take Charge, Live Well".

Kachollom said the numbers "reflect progress in some areas and persistent challenges in others", and called for faster preventive action and earlier diagnosis so sick children and adults reach care in time.

Why it matters for families

For an ordinary Nigerian household, the newborn figure is the harder one. A baby born in Nigeria today faces a slightly higher chance of dying within a month than a baby born in 2018, even as the odds improve for older children.

The ministry also cited World Health Organisation estimates putting Nigeria's healthy life expectancy at birth at 54.1 years in 2023 — the number of years a Nigerian can expect to live in good health, not just to live.

Kachollom said health promotion should be treated as "a strategic investment in our health system, not merely an awareness campaign". She warned that telling people to get screened means little if screening and treatment are out of reach.

"A person who understands the importance of screening must be able to access it," she said.

The government's Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative, she said, focuses on maternal and child health, stronger primary healthcare, wider immunisation, and tackling HIV, tuberculosis, malaria and non-communicable diseases such as hypertension. Cervical cancer screening, nutrition and hepatitis elimination through Project 365 are also on the list.

John Uruakpa, director of the ministry's health promotion division, said more than 20 million Nigerians have been reached with health messages through radio, social media and community outreach. He said the ministry wants to take the work into states, schools, communities and primary healthcare centres.

Partners at the event, including UNFPA, CARE International and the Africa Health Budget Network, restated their support, with emphasis on community engagement, family planning, nutrition and routine screening for hypertension and diabetes. Screening was offered to participants at the venue.

What happens next

The ministry says it will keep pushing prevention and early detection through primary healthcare centres, but the sources did not give a timeline or new funding for newborn care. Nigerians were urged to know their health risks, take part in screening and immunisation, and seek care early.