Ofure Akhigbe
Road traffic accidents were the leading cause of death in federal tertiary hospitals (FTHs) in 2025, according to the 2025 Health Statistics Report released by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.
The report, obtained by our correspondent on Sunday, ranks the 10 most frequently reported causes of mortality across the nation’s tertiary health facilities and highlights major gaps in service delivery and data management.
Cancer emerged as the second leading cause of death, followed by hypertension and diabetes mellitus, underscoring the growing burden of non-communicable diseases in Nigeria. Maternal and infection-related conditions also accounted for a significant number of deaths, with postpartum haemorrhage and sepsis listed among the major causes.
“The data presented the top 10 causes of death as self-reported by FTHs, ranked by how frequently each was mentioned. Road traffic accidents emerged as the most commonly reported cause, followed by cancer and hypertension,” the report stated.
Other leading causes of death included stroke, chronic kidney disease, severe anaemia and eclampsia.
The report further revealed that in 2025, federal tertiary hospitals recorded a total patient attendance of 2,764,076, comprising 1,211,829 outpatient visits and 1,769,980 follow-up visits. There were 226,943 admissions, with an average hospital stay of seven days and a bed occupancy rate of 59 per cent.
During the period, 183,862 patients were discharged, while 14,857 inpatient deaths were recorded.
Surgical services remained extensive, with 30,516 major surgeries and 12,494 minor procedures carried out. Laboratories conducted 1,923,626 investigations nationwide.
The report also disclosed that 16,964 cases of postpartum haemorrhage were recorded in 2025. Within the same year, four new federal tertiary hospitals were established, and 2,520 facilities received certificates of standards. Only five health workers received quarterly specialised training, while none of the hospitals underwent annual supportive supervisory visits. In addition, 23 per cent of FTHs were issued provisional certificates of standards.
The third-quarter 2025 report on tertiary health service delivery trends showed that the Jos University Teaching Hospital and the University of Benin Teaching Hospital recorded the highest outpatient and diagnostic volumes.
However, several data quality issues were noted. Some facilities, including the Federal Teaching Hospital, Azare, reported inconsistent figures, such as outpatient visits exceeding total attendance. About five facilities recorded an average length of stay exceeding 30 days, while four reported a 100 per cent bed occupancy rate, suggesting possible data entry or aggregation errors.
The Ministry said the findings underscore the urgent need for improved data management, better resource allocation and strengthened health system monitoring to enhance service delivery and reduce preventable deaths.