Pregnant Women Delivered by Torchlight at Ogun Primary Health Centre

An investigation has revealed that expectant mothers at the Ikereku Health Clinic in Abeokuta North Local Government Area of Ogun State are being delivered in darkness, with health workers forced to rely on torchlights and phone flashlights due to a total lack of electricity at the facility.

The primary health centre, which serves multiple communities, operates without power, running water, or basic medical equipment, creating hazardous conditions for childbirth and routine care.

Patients and a retired midwife assisting at the centre recounted harrowing experiences. Abike Olaniyi, who delivered her baby in December 2025, described how a retired midwife used a combination of a lamp and phone torches to illuminate the procedure. Another woman, Okewole Timileyin, recalled a 2017 incident where she was alone in labour until the baby’s head emerged, with no health worker initially in sight.

The facility, established in the 1950s, is critically understaffed, often with only one community health extension worker present. It lacks functional toilets, has overgrown surroundings, and its delivery room contains rusty beds and a single worn mattress.

Health experts warn that such conditions drastically increase the risk of fatal infections for both mothers and newborns. Professor Aniekan Abasiattai, a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist, stressed that electricity and water are fundamental for infection prevention and safe delivery.

Community leaders have appealed for urgent renovation and proper staffing to restore trust in the facility.

In response, the Abeokuta North LGA Chairman, Lanre Oyegbola, stated that primary healthcare centre upgrades are being executed in batches under a state-wide “one-roof approach.” He acknowledged ongoing work at other centres and indicated that Ikereku would be addressed in subsequent phases.

The Ogun State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker, affirmed the state government’s commitment to revitalising primary healthcare, noting that 40% of PHCs have been upgraded so far. She said plans are in place within the 2026 budget to address remaining gaps, including the Ikereku clinic.