The impact of abortion on fertility has also been documented. An increase in abortion rate has
usually been accompanied by a decline in fertility especially in high to medium fertility populations.
Data on abortion are very scanty in Nigeria because the procedure is illegal. Henshaw et. al. (1998)
estimated the incidence of induced abortion in Nigeria in 1996. The results indicate that each year,
Nigerian women obtain approximately 610,000 abortions, a rate of 25 abortions per 1,000 women aged
15-44. About 40 per cent of abortions are estimated to be performed by physicians in established health
facilities, while the rest are performed by nonphysician providers. Although it is difficult to determine
precisely its incidence, evidence from health facility based studies suggest an increase in the incidence of
abortion over time in Nigeria. Unfortunately, because it is illegal except under certain conditions, a high
percentage of abortion in Nigeria is performed by unqualified personnel who only encourage their clients
to seek modern medical care when there are complications. We have no reason to believe that the
incidence of abortion will decline in Nigeria in the near future, whether it is made legal or not. Rather,
continued decline in family size will generate higher demand for abortion services unless family planning
services are greatly improved to meet demand.