Kano Mothers Demand 24-Hour Clinics After Night Births

When labor begins after dark in Kano Municipal, pregnant women face a terrifying choice: wait until morning or risk traveling miles to reach an open clinic. Too many have given birth on the roadside because their local health centers shut down at night.

That reality prompted hundreds of mothers, health workers, and community leaders to gather at a town hall meeting in October 2025. Organized by Nigeria Health Watch and local partners, the meeting gave women a rare chance to demand better from their healthcare system.

Khadija Abubakar Muhammad stood up and shared what many had experienced. "When labour starts in the evening, the PHC is closed. They only refer us to another facility far away. We need our centre to run 24 hours so that no woman gives birth on the road," she told the room.

Her words struck a chord. Other mothers described being stranded without transport during nighttime emergencies, forced to choose between dangerous home births or risky journeys while in active labor.

The health officials in attendance didn't dismiss these concerns. Ali H. Adam, Health Educator for Kano Municipal, announced that the government is already working to upgrade two facilities in the area. He committed to working with local committees to deploy more staff where they're needed most.

The meeting also tackled another barrier: most residents had no idea they qualified for health insurance. Staff from the Kano State health insurance agency walked families through enrollment on the spot, transforming confusion into coverage.

The Ripple Effect

This town hall represents something bigger than one community's complaints. It's a working model of how healthcare improves when patients have a real voice in shaping services.

Sheriff Gbadamosi from Nigeria Health Watch called it "people-driven reform." By bringing mothers face to face with policymakers, the meeting turned abstract statistics into human stories that demand action. The approach aligns with Nigeria's national health plan, which prioritizes strengthening primary care from 2023 to 2027.

The changes won't happen overnight. Kano's clinics still struggle with too few staff, limited resources, and security concerns that make night shifts dangerous for health workers too.

But the commitments made at this meeting give mothers like Khadija reason to hope. With facility upgrades underway, staffing plans in motion, and insurance barriers breaking down, 24-hour care is moving from a desperate wish to an achievable goal.

"If our PHC works day and night, every mother will feel safe to deliver at the facility, not on the way there," Khadija said, capturing what safe motherhood should look like for every woman.