From Policy to Practice: A Scoping Review of Women’s Health Rights, Legal Frameworks, and Implementation Gaps in Nigeria

Women's health outcomes in Nigeria are the result of legal protection/curse, policy commitment/curse, and execution realities. Despite constitutional guarantees, international treaty obligations, and actions guided by sectoral health policies, gaps between policy intent and women's lived experiences and their actual access to care continue to limit women's equitable access to care. This study provides a cartographic, synthetic, and critical overview of available evidence on women's health rights in Nigeria, namely legal regimes, policy frameworks, and implementation procedures. Anchored in a Human Rights-Based Approach and a socio-legal theory, the study employs a systematic, iterative scoping review methodology that draws on literature from 2015 to 2025, encompassing empirical, conceptual, and policy publications. Twelve studies were included, which were primary, secondary, and mixed-methods studies. Thematic analysis identified two broad themes: (1) gaps in legal and policy frameworks, marked by patchy laws, insufficient knowledge of rights, and the incomplete nature of policies, and (2) problems in programme implementation, including structural and resource constraints, socio-cultural barriers, and poor monitoring and accountability mechanisms. There is also evidence of promising practices such as judicial activism, civil society advocacy, and targeted health interventions, though these are not widely institutionalized. The findings highlight further the need to shift from policy proliferation to coordinated implementation, legal accountability, and enhanced health system capacity. The research has suggested the need for an integrated framework that synergises across a continuum from legal reform to institutional strengthening to community-level engagement to fill the gap between women's health rights on paper and in practice.