Inside Lagos health centre where mothers pay N5,000 for childbirth

A father, Mr Lawal Arishekola, could hardly contain his excitement after his wife was delivered of a baby at the Ikosi Primary Health Centre, Ketu, Lagos, and was asked to pay only N5,000 for the delivery.

Located along the Ikosi-Ketu axis, under the Ikosi-Isheri Local Council Development Area, Arishekola said the facility, built by the chairman, Samiat Bada, does not charge for delivery, explaining that the N5,000 he paid was for maintenance.

“My wife gave birth in this facility; they only charged N5,000. They even said they don’t charge anything and that the N5,000 was for maintenance when we were asked to settle the bill,” he said.

Arishekola said the gesture and the services they received were too good to seem real in present-day Nigeria.

“I couldn’t believe my ears, and more than four midwives attended to us that day. I was proud of being a Nigerian on that day.

“When the government works, we should say it. Princess Samiat Bada is one in a million,” he said.

His  social media post elicited reactions from Nigerians. While some celebrated and thanked the chairman for what they described as a gift to humanity, especially pregnant women, others cheered her on to do more.

Similarly, in another testimony, Olajumoke Adeeko said she had her two daughters in the facility, yet did not pay up to N20,000.

“I had my two daughters in public health facilities, and I didn’t spend up to N20,000 in total for both. We need to appreciate some of these things,” she said.

New facility triggers discussions

Adeeko’s post further triggered more discussions, with many Facebook and other social media users taking turns to celebrate and congratulate the chairman for what they described as a gift of life.

However, a few others argued that Bada was merely carrying out her constitutional responsibilities and using taxpayers’ money wisely.

A Facebook user, Emperor-Olubukola Afolabi, said, “The chairman knows the pain and agony behind childbirth and not having good healthcare. This understanding comes when someone has been there before and is also an empathetic human.”

Agreeing with this, Dhelimah Taiwo said women are more concerned with the welfare of the people, adding, “If it were a man, he would only run the race of how to embezzle lots of funds.”

“When some people were busy celebrating just a bus stop and cinema centre, one was busy building a standard healthcare facility for the people,” another Facebook user, Aliu Ganiyu, wrote.

“The masses are not asking for much, but meaningful infrastructure facilities that can touch lives directly as dividends of democracy.

“Imagine the growth in the workforce within the health facility, apart from serving the residents of the LCDA. I even learnt she just flagged off the construction of a fire service station that will serve the entire locality in case of a fire outbreak. Kudos to the chairperson,” Abass Akinpelu said.

Another user, Jokotimi Garba, wrote, “Who knows the woman who built this primary healthcare centre personally? I need to go give her flowers. Na woman she be! Ikosi Ketu, you people should not joke with this woman.”

On his part, Oshoare Sulaimon said the major problem in the country is a lack of accountability and misplaced priorities.

He noted that Nigerians often ignore the real tiers of government that should be held accountable while focusing only on the centre.

“The centre cannot do everything. The best of Western government infrastructural development was achieved by regional governments, not from the centre.

“Let’s hold the states and local governments accountable for their stewardship. They must account for the huge revenues collected since 2023.

“All the tiers of government must work to move the nation forward. The masses must henceforth ask for performance from other tiers too,” Sulaimon added.

A visit to the centre

Saturday PUNCH’s visit to the centre confirmed a N5,000 base cost for safe delivery at the facility.

Nevertheless, there were also other charges a mother could incur, depending on the condition she presented with at the time of delivery.

A senior nursing officer, who spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymity, said the facility charges mothers N5,000 for delivery.

The midwife, however, said the amount depends on the woman’s condition, such as whether there are tears requiring sutures.

“Yes, the basic delivery fee is N5,000 if there are no complications before the baby is born. As long as there is no labour induction, special medications or injections, tears, or sutures, then the delivery is N5,000.

“But if any of these conditions I mentioned are present, the bill will not remain the same because it will no longer be considered a free delivery, and all the injections and medications administered would be captured in the bill,” she explained.

When asked how much the total bill would be if the delivery was not free, she said, “It depends on the bill preparation. It is something you can afford; it is affordable.”

Insisting further, she said, “It depends. At least, you cannot spend up to N100,000, and that is why many people are coming to this centre.”

While disguising as a husband inquiring about his pregnant wife’s registration, the midwife told our correspondent, “For antenatal registration, she will pay N12,000. This amount covers tests and routine drugs, except if she is presented as a special case.

“Meanwhile, after the registration, if she is coming for regular antenatal care, she should come with some money in case there are other tests she may be required to pay for.

“She will have to do some medical tests and scans, and that will also determine the drugs she will be taking and how often she will visit the antenatal care centre.

“Apart from that, there is a hospital list of items she is expected to bring: some for the hospital, some for the baby, and some for the mother. These would be brought to the hospital regardless,” she said.

During Saturday PUNCH’s visit, it was observed that the environment was neat and clean, including the offices and laboratories.

Findings revealed that the centre has been in existence since 2006, but was demolished by the government and rebuilt as a two-storey modern flagship Primary Health Centre.

On the foundation stone was an inscription: “This project was successfully constructed under the visionary leadership of the Executive chairman, Princess Samiat Abolanle Bada, and was officially commissioned on July 9, 2025, by Her Excellency, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, CON, First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

Asked how the medics managed patients while the facility was under construction, she said, “We had a small canopy where we provided only antenatal services. So, for deliveries, we sent them to the general hospital, except those who came in as emergencies.

“For those ones, we had to conduct emergency deliveries because we are not meant to turn back a woman whose baby’s head is already out.

“We don’t do CS here; we refer such cases to the general hospital. We only handle deliveries,” she said.

Regarding the treatment of babies with jaundice, she said, “We have a private photo lab where we conduct tests. If the level of jaundice is high, we refer the baby to the general hospital, where it will be treated properly.”

Mothers recount experiences

One of the women who accompanied her daughter to the centre, Mrs Rebecca Oludare, said she did not pay N5,000, but that everything she spent came to about N28,000, excluding registration and other costs.

She said her daughter registered with the facility and was also delivered there.

“I like the centre because they are caring and they know what they are doing,” Oludare added.

A female trader identified as Mama Bukky, who sells jewellery near the Ketu-Ikosi bus stop, said the hospital is affordable, noting that almost all the market women patronise it.

Asked how much they charge for childbirth, she said, “God will not allow us to see the one that is bigger than us. I didn’t give birth there, but I went for tests at the centre, and it was cheap.”

While directing our correspondent to the hospital, she added, “Just go there; it is something you can afford. Those who went there said they spent N34,000, while another person said N26,000. So, you can afford it.”

On the other hand, Mrs Sola Shonibare, who told our correspondent her younger sister gave birth at the centre, said the facility is good, but the antenatal list is expensive.

She noted that to buy everything on the list, one would spend close to N100,000, if not more, saying, “If the chairman will also help to look into this list and remove what is not necessary, it will go a long way in helping poor women like us.

“It is hard these days to see any woman who gives birth without induction, tears, or special medication. So, people still pay more than the N5,000 delivery fee. But I thank the chairperson; she has done well for us.”

‘My heart is where my community is’

However, Saturday PUNCH’s effort to reach the chairman was unsuccessful. Nevertheless, our correspondent obtained the chairman’s speech delivered during the recent opening of the centre in Ketu.

In a video clip of the event, she adjudged the Primary Health Centre as the biggest PHC in Nigeria, and by extension, in Africa.

She said the facility was named after her role model, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, because of the impact she had on her political journey.

“Oluremi Tinubu has been my role model since I started my political career. I share the same passion she has, and I saw that she achieved a lot before she became the First Lady of Nigeria. So, I followed in her footsteps.

“I am happy she was the one who personally opened the facility because she has greatly influenced my work and commitment to development.

“I am looking forward to performing the way she did before she became the First Lady of the country. She has impacted me greatly. As I will always say, my heart is where my community is,” Bada added.

She reiterated her administration’s commitment to empowerment and development, highlighting the implementation of the Youth Empowerment and Skill Acquisition Scheme, which she said has benefited thousands of residents. (Punch)