BACKGROUND: Grand multiparas are women who have carried five or more previous pregnancies to viability i.e. para ≥5. Previous research results have suggested that grand multiparas are at a much higher risk during pregnancy, delivery and postpartum. However, recent studies are suggesting that this is not essentially so if corrections are made for confounding factors like age and socioeconomic status. OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of grand multiparity on obstetric and neonatal outcomes at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH), Ilorin, Nigeria. METHODS: This study is a prospective cohort study that compares obstetric and neonatal outcome in grand multiparas (para ≥5) with that of age and social class matched multiparous (para 2-4) controls at UITH Ilorin over a six months period from 1st February to 31st July 2010.