Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa, has endured decades of political instability and economic inequality. Ongoing violence continues to force people to flee their homes in the northeast. Today, more than two million people are internally displaced and many have fled to Chad, Cameroon, and Niger.

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of people in need of humanitarian assistance in Nigeria has risen and the 2024 Humanitarian response plan estimates that 7.9 million people need humanitarian assistance in the North East region alone. Women and children represent more than 80% of the crisis-affected population. Access to health care remains a significant challenge, especially in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states where conflict has led to the destruction of health facilities. An assessment in 2017 revealed that more than one third of facilities in Borno state had been completely destroyed with another one third not functioning at that time.

Yobe State – where EQUAL will conduct its research – has been acutely affected by the decade-long conflict driven by the Boko Haram insurgency. The majority of people now live in security compromised areas and experience displacement, social and economic hardship, and severe food insecurity.Delivering maternal and newborn health services remain challenging due to difficult terrain, insecurity, and a significant shortage of qualified health workers.