TrackaNG, BudgIT’s public expenditure tracking platform, noted that the Primary Health Centre serves over 1,500 residents but suffers from a lack of basic infrastructure, essential medical equipment, and adequate staffing.

Women in the Nyaguru Ija Gbagyi community in Tafa Local Government Area of Niger State are reportedly delivering babies under candlelight at the area’s only primary healthcare centre, according to TrackaNG.

TrackaNG, BudgIT’s public expenditure tracking platform, noted that the Primary Health Centre serves over 1,500 residents but suffers from a lack of basic infrastructure, essential medical equipment, and adequate staffing.

Providing an overview of the situation at the centre, Tracka stated: “This is Nyaguru PHC where childbirth is conducted with candles.”

“The PHC facility serving Nyaguru Ija Gbagyi community in Tafa LGA of Niger State is in a state of severe neglect, unable to provide even the most basic healthcare services,” the organisation added, describing the condition of the facility.

On staffing and operational capacity, Tracka said: “Despite being the only health facility for over 1,500 residents, the clinic lacks the infrastructure, equipment, and staffing required to provide medical care, with just one nurse struggling to manage all medical needs for nearly a decade.”

Addressing the state of the building, the group described the “building itself” as “unsafe”

“Ceilings have collapsed, rainwater leaks into treatment rooms, and sanitation is poor. Childbirth is often conducted in darkness using candles or lanterns, putting mothers and newborns at extreme risk,” TrackaNG said.

On access to the centre, particularly during emergencies, it noted: “Access to the facility is equally dangerous. The road is barely motorable, forcing pregnant women and emergency patients to travel long distances by motorcycle, increasing the likelihood of complications, delays, and preventable deaths.”

“In its current state, the Nyaguru PHC cannot protect lives, it endangers them,” it said. 

Calling for intervention by relevant authorities, Tracka stated, “We implore the office of the Governor Umar Bago, the Niger State government, and the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and the National Primary Health Care Development Agency to facilitate the complete rehabilitation, and staffing, of this facility to restore safe healthcare for the community.”