Background: Unsafe abortion is a means of terminating an unwanted pregnancy and it is carried out by individuals who do not possess the requisite skills or it occurs in an environment that is not up to standard or both. Complications occur as a result of unsafe abortion which can sometimes lead to death. Methods: The study design is a descriptive narrative review of existing literature with a search through Cochrane Library, Google Scholar and Cochrane databases using keywords like unsafe abortion, maternal mortality, social determinants of health, unwanted pregnancy in Nigeria. Articles within 10 years of publication were selected. Results: A variety of articles were found covering unsafe abortion and the Dahlgren and Whitehead model was used to show the relationship between the social determinants of health and maternal death due to unsafe abortion in Nigeria. Conclusion: Some Nigerian communities have harmful cultural practices which aid unsafe abortion and this is a call for action by the Ministry of Health. The Ministry of Health should advocate and make policies to strengthen healthcare at all levels including provision of postabortion care and raising awareness on gender issues related to health. Keywords: Unsafe abortion, maternal mortality, social determinants of health, unwanted pregnancy, Nigeria