Achieving development goals on maternal and child health in Nigeria: do community contexts matter?

Sunday A. Adedini, Obafemi Awolowo University and University of the Witwatersrand
Dorothy N. Ononokpono, University of Uyo
Tolulope Ogunsola, Obafemi Awolowo University

Many countries in the sub-Saharan Africa, including Nigeria, fell short of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) targets. As the world begins to shift attention from the MDGs to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), change of approach is required if Nigeria would achieve development goals during the post-2015 development era. However, whatever new approaches to be introduced must be evidence based. This study thus provides new evidence by examining whether community contexts are important for achieving development goals on maternal and child health (MCH) in Nigeria. Using data from 2003, 2008 and 2013 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey, results indicated that favourable/good community contexts are important for the achievement of development goals on MCH in Nigeria. Given that improved MCH outcomes constitute important development indicators for any country, there is need to ameliorate poor community contexts in disadvantaged communities/regions if Nigeria would accelerate progress towards improved MCH during the post-2015 development era.