On a bright Thursday morning in February, Chibueze Okoli stood at the edge of the maternity section of the Alimosho General Hospital in Lagos State.
Pacing, the middle-aged man’s eyes darted toward an open-air shed where his wife and over 30 other pregnant women clapped and sang the familiar tune, “At the end of nine months, I will carry my baby.” The sound echoed through the open-air maternity structure as their voices blended harmoniously.
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A few minutes later, his wife walked over to his side. After a short conversation, he reached into his pocket and handed her a N1000 note. Mrs Okoli returned to join her fellow pregnant women as they started their routine exercise—gentle stretching.
PREMIUM TIMES learnt that these sessions are a usual practice at many antenatal meetings. Before medical consultations commence, many public hospitals incorporate lively warm-up sessions for expectant mothers, which include singing, dancing, and light physical activities. These sessions are often led by nurses and midwives.
In Nigeria, antenatal sessions are regarded as a “female domain.’ But a quiet shift is happening. A growing number of Nigerian men are challenging the long-standing norm that positions pregnancy as a woman’s journey.
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Defying traditional norms
When PREMIUM TIMES visited the hospital, three men accompanied their wives to the clinic appointment. While the third man declined to comment, Mr Okoli and an Uber driver who gave his name simply as Kelvin spoke to PREMIUM TIMES, giving reasons for following their wives to the hospital for the antenatal appointment.
Mr Okoli said they have a toddler, and it would be stressful for his wife to take the child to the hospital on her own.
“I am a supportive husband… even at home, I do all the house chores. I don’t want her to be stressed,” he said. “There was a time, due to stress, my wife needed bed rest, and since that time, I have been supporting her the way I can.”
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On his part, Mr Kelvin, a first-time father, said his presence at the antenatal clinic makes his “wife feel relaxed.”
‘Connection’
On PREMIUM TIMES’ second visit to the hospital, at least eight men accompanied their wives to the clinic appointment. The women present at the time of the visit were over 60.
Obinna Abara, a hotelier, said he had been involved in his wife’s pregnancy journey since they had their first child and had never missed an appointment. The father of one noted that he feels “connected” to his wife.
Asked why he accompanied his wife to the clinic appointment, Mr Abara said, “Everything has to do with the connection with one’s wife. It’s not as if she cannot come here alone; she has her car, and it’s a way of keeping her company.”
The hotelier said his presence was to support his wife emotionally and physically. He, however, acknowledged that he could attend because he owned his business and its structure. The business’s structure allows him the flexibility to attend clinic appointments without negatively impacting his business operations.
He encouraged other men and fathers, whose work schedules allow, to accompany their wives to antenatal appointments, emphasising the difficulties of pregnancy.
Benedict Oziegbe offered a contrasting viewpoint. The hairstylist said he did not attend “voluntarily,” adding that he would have been at home if not for his wife’s persistent request for his company. The father of two said, “The process is not organised. It’s 10:18 a.m. and we are not done.” “I feel like going home,” he said.
Impact of male involvement
Research shows that male participation in maternal healthcare can significantly improve outcomes for both mother and child. A 2022 study linked male involvement to earlier antenatal registration, frequent clinic attendance, and better emotional support—factors that can reduce maternal mortality.
Maternal mortality refers to the death of pregnant women due to complications during labour or following childbirth. A 2023 report by the World Health Organisation (WHO) highlighted the severity of the crisis, revealing that a woman dies from pregnancy-related complications every two minutes. This translates to nearly 800 deaths per day, the majority of which are preventable with adequate interventions.
The situation is particularly dire in Africa, which accounted for 70 per cent of maternal deaths worldwide in 2020. Within the region, Nigeria was one of the worst-affected countries.
Data from the WHO estimates Nigeria’s maternal mortality ratio (MMR) at 1,047 deaths per 100,000 live births, making it the country with the third-highest maternal mortality rate globally.
Although there is no data to ascertain the level of men’s involvement in antenatal care in Nigeria, the research titled “Male involvement in antenatal care in Agege Local Government Area, Lagos State” offers a glimpse into men’s participation in prenatal care.
The research sampled 420 fathers in the local government, and a little more than half said they accompanied their wives to antenatal clinic appointments.
Two major factors—formal education and age—played a role in these fathers’ involvement. According to the research, “younger husbands and partners were shown to have good involvement in antenatal care.”
The findings show that formal education plays a significant role because educated men are more likely to be privy to information on maternal health care services.
“Out of all the respondents who followed their wives/partners to the ANC clinic, 173 (41.2 per cent) of the respondents who followed their wives/partners to antenatal care clinics did so because of free HIV counselling and testing,” the research shows.
“For those who did not follow their wives to the ANC clinic, being busy at work 83 (19.8 per cent) was the commonest reason that was given for not doing so.”
Flexibility makes a difference
For many men, accompanying their partners depends largely on their work schedule. Self-employed individuals or those with flexible jobs were far more likely to be present.
Ebere Agwunobi, a clothing vendor, said he chose to come to the clinic “to understand the process and educate myself.”
The father of two specifically highlighted that as a self-employed father, he has the freedom to determine his work schedule without having to report to a superior.
Asked about his role at the clinic, Mr Agwunobi said, “My presence here is to support her. Whenever she wants something, I will get it for her.”
On his part, Seun Olugbade, a clergyman, said he feels a sense of responsibility as a husband and father to his family.
The expectant father did not hide his joy when he said, his presence makes his wife happy. “It’s a thing of pride for them (pregnant women) when their husband accompanies them to the clinic.’’ He added that since it was their first child, he wanted his wife to feel comfortable.
No excuse
Meanwhile, Segun Odunayo, a Lagos-based journalist and an employee, said men have no excuse not to get involved.
“The baby was ours; it was important that I was a part of the entire process since I was responsible for her being in that state in the first place,” he said.
“Also, I saw her change as the months went on. Pregnancy can be stressful, especially if you’re a 9-to-5 lady. Work, pregnancy stress and so on. It wasn’t something one person should be involved in; it’s a whole new journey for everyone involved.”
Mr Odunayo said that due to his tight schedule, he attended about four antenatal sessions with his wife. And on days he could not, he mandated her to record “all her sessions” and play them for him later.
He said leaving a woman to bear a pregnancy alone could be an act of irresponsibility or ignorance, adding that if he were abroad, he would be present via Zoom.
Meanwhile, Mr Okoli, present at the clinic with his toddler, urged men to get involved whenever their wives are pregnant, noting that “marriage is teamwork.”
He said that as a sole proprietor, he could balance his parental and professional duties, ensuring that he is present for his children while maintaining a successful business.
READ ALSO: Hassana Maina speaks on challenging norms, building others, accelerating gender equality
Encouraging policy shifts
Workplace culture and policy can be a powerful driver—or barrier—to male participation.
Omolaeaeni Afuwape, a human resource expert, told PREMIUM TIMES that such development might not be implemented, “seeing that when policies are made, it takes a while for them to take effect.
Ms Afuwape noted, “It’s not impossible, but the actual question is, can organisations bend their rules to make this happen?”
However, Ronke Ogunmade, an HR professional, said a flexible work arrangement would suffice.
“For instance, an organisation with a hybrid work structure could offer a day off, or an additional flexible work day, to a husband who attends at least five of his wife’s 10 to 15 antenatal appointments,” she said.
“But they must have evidence of attending such antenatal arrangement – maybe they will have to get cards that nurses have to fill out for them. We can be creative around it. And I am sure they will welcome it if we throw that to the HR community. Someone will have to take the lead.”
Page planned and produced by: Aaron Cole
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