Roberta Edu, the outspoken feminist and CEO of Moppet Foods, has strongly condemned the growing trend of blaming individuals for systemic healthcare failures in Nigeria, particularly in tragic situations such as maternal mortality.
Speaking in reaction to the death of a woman during childbirth, Edu expressed outrage over what she described as “misplaced conversations” that arise whenever such incidents occur.
“It is deeply troubling that, instead of demanding accountability from the government, we turn around to blame men for being poor or women for having children,” Edu said. “A woman losing her life while giving birth is not the time to talk about how a man should make money or why a woman should close her legs. That’s not just insensitive—it’s wrong.”
Edu, who leads Moppet Foods, a company known for its nutritional products for children, clarified that her stance had nothing to do with business interests. “Before anyone assumes I’m saying this because we sell more when people have more children, let me be clear: Moppet is not even targeted at low-income households. Except through a few NGO-sponsored intervention programs, most people in that category cannot afford our products. This is coming purely from common sense and empathy,” she said.
She further criticized the societal tendency to dictate family size, calling it “disrespectful and unrealistic.”
“If someone chooses to have two children because they want to send them to Harvard, that’s their dream and it makes sense to them. But others simply want to live, and if that means having ten or twenty children, it’s still valid. You are not smarter than them because your plan is different,” she asserted.
Edu also raised questions about how some Nigerians discuss sex and reproduction. “It baffles me when people suggest that a man should stop sleeping with his wife because he is not financially buoyant. That’s absurd. Sex is natural. What we should be asking is why basic healthcare wasn’t available to this woman.”
She redirected the conversation to what she called the real issue: government accountability. “Our taxes are meant to guarantee access to healthcare, education, and other basic amenities. When someone dies because they were denied these rights, it’s not their fault—it’s the government’s failure. The woman who died didn’t need money to access care; our taxes should have covered her.”
Edu ended her remarks with a powerful reminder: “Our money is not meant for politicians’ side chicks or luxury. The government must be held accountable. We are not asking for too much—we are asking for basic, quality healthcare for every Nigerian.”
Her statement has since sparked conversations on social media, with many Nigerians echoing her call for a reevaluation of how the country approaches maternal health, poverty, and public service accountability.
