Maternal mortality in Nigeria remains alarmingly high, despite decades of global and national interventions. This article explores the political determinants of maternal mortality in Nigeria from a sociological perspective, focusing on governance, financing, accountability, corruption, and conflict as upstream factors shaping maternal health outcomes. Using a qualitative research design — including key informant interviews, focus group discussions, and document review — the study examines how political structures and processes translate into service delivery failures and ultimately maternal deaths. The literature review highlights a gap in mechanistic tracing of how political decisions at state and local levels produce concrete maternal health outcomes; this study addresses that gap by offering in-depth process evidence, contextualizing women lived experience, and illustrating governance pathways.

From the mixed research approach used, the findings suggest that under-resourced health systems, weak accountability, fragmented governance, and political neglect of maternal health are central to persistent maternal mortality in Nigeria. The article concludes with policy recommendations to strengthen political commitment, enhance transparency in health financing and procurement, and deepen civic accountability for maternal survival.