FG Secures $65m Private Sector Commitments To Tackle Maternal, Newborn Deaths

The Federal Government has secured financial and in-kind commitments totalling over $65 million (N89.9 billion) from seven private-sector and philanthropic organisations to support efforts to reduce preventable maternal and newborn deaths in Nigeria.

The commitments, made under the Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative (MAMII) Private Sector Compact, are expected to address critical service delivery gaps, particularly in 172 high-burden Local Government Areas (LGAs) across the country.

The commitments were announced yesterday on the second day of the 2026 Joint Annual Review (JAR) of the health sector in Abuja, during which the government received Letters of Intent from the seven organisations.

Speaking at the event, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, said reducing preventable maternal and newborn deaths remained a national priority under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Pate said the commitments demonstrated confidence in the government’s health sector reform agenda and in the potential of private-sector participation to improve health outcomes.

He said the government expected the investments to translate into improved skilled care, access to essential commodities, emergency obstetric and newborn services, innovation and stronger referral systems.

According to him, the government would ensure that the commitments align with national priorities, with every investment accounted for and interventions linked to measurable improvements in maternal and newborn health.

“Ultimately, our measure of success will be more mothers surviving childbirth, more newborns receiving the care they need, and more Nigerian families spared the tragedy of preventable loss,” he said.

Nigeria records an estimated 40,000 maternal deaths and approximately 300,000 newborn deaths annually, underscoring the need for stronger interventions and increased investments in maternal and newborn healthcare.

The MAMII Private Sector Compact, supported by the World Economic Forum, Gates Foundation, MTN Foundation and MSD for Mothers, provides a government-led framework for coordinating private-sector and philanthropic resources, technical expertise and delivery capabilities towards identified health priorities.

The initiative is anchored in the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII) and the Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp), which seeks to align government, development partners and private-sector investments around a common national health agenda.

The World Economic Forum’s Global Alliance for Women’s Health also supported the mobilisation of industry partners and relevant technical expertise.

The session further introduced the TEAM OB/NEO training curriculum and implementation framework and unveiled national maternal and newborn health policies and guidelines.

The government said the Compact would help direct partner contributions towards priority interventions in the 172 LGAs where maternal mortality burden is highest.