The health-related MDGs in Nigeria and 2015: Issues beyond the figures

Abstract

Fifteen years after the Millennium Summit of September 2000 set developmental targets for September 2015 termed “Millennium Development Goals” (MDGs), it is hard to disagree that there is every reason for every signatory member state, stakeholder and interested party to take stock. With 8 goals, 21 quantifiable targets and 60 indicators, the world set up a form of construct to fast track development as a means to better the lives of people living in the countries of the world. The deadline set is here. This paper concentrates on the health-related MDGs namely goals 4, 5 and 6. These goals are reviewed as they concern Nigeria. Moreso, this paper while highlighting the journey so far and the submissions from various sources at the finish line of September 2015, infers that more still needs to be done particularly in the area of child and maternal health. It further seeks to highlight the pending issues even as we enter the post-2015 dispensation in the light of available statistics and peculiar regional realities.

Keywords: MDGs, Nigeria, 2015, health-related