In an extraordinary turn of events at the National Hospital, Abuja, a Nigerian woman recently gave birth to sextuplets, defying the odds and surprising medical expectations. The mother, who had undergone her first IVF attempt at a hospital in Jos, initially anticipated welcoming five babies but was joyfully astonished to discover a sixth addition to the family.

Sextuplet births are exceptionally rare, with a staggering 1-in-almost-5 billion chance of occurrence. The last time Nigeria witnessed such an extraordinary event was in 2019 when a woman in Port Harcourt became a proud mother of six.

Interestingly, Poland experienced a similar scenario in 2019, marking the country’s first-ever birth of sextuplets. As with the recent Abuja case, preparations were made for five babies, only to be pleasantly surprised by a sixth arrival.

This isn’t Nigeria’s inaugural encounter with sextuplets; records indicate the first recorded set born in 1907. Since 2019, there have been at least two instances, one in Port Harcourt and another in Bayelsa, where mothers celebrated the rare blessing of sextuplets.

The phenomenon extends beyond Nigerian borders, as evidenced by a woman in Houston, Texas, USA, in March 2019, and another in Richmond, Virginia, USA, in May 2017. Notably, in January 2012, an Afghan woman, initially expecting one baby, welcomed six, leaving the BBC to report matter-of-factly that the mother was in good health but understandably exhausted.

The National Hospital, Abuja, is buzzing with excitement as the sextuplets and their mother receive the care they deserve.

Credit: Tolu Ogunlesi/X