Fidelia Soriwei, Abuja
The Federal Government has secured financial and in-kind commitments worth more than $65m from seven private sector and philanthropic organisations to support efforts to reduce preventable maternal and newborn deaths across Nigeria.
The commitments were made under the Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative (MAMII) Private Sector Compact, which targets critical healthcare delivery gaps in 172 local government areas with the highest burden of maternal and newborn deaths.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, disclosed this on Wednesday during the second day of the 2026 Joint Annual Review of the health sector in Abuja, where the Federal Government unveiled the compact.
The initiative seeks to align private sector investments, technical expertise, products and supply chains with national maternal and newborn health priorities under the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative and its Sector-Wide Approach.
Nigeria records an estimated 40,000 maternal deaths and 300,000 newborn deaths annually, according to figures cited by the ministry. This translates to more than 100 women and 800 newborns dying daily.
Pate said reducing preventable maternal and newborn deaths remained a national priority under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“Reducing preventable maternal and newborn deaths is a national priority and a fundamental measure of the progress we are making in strengthening Nigeria’s health system,” he said.
He described the commitments as an expression of confidence in the country’s health sector reforms and the potential for private sector participation in improving healthcare outcomes.
“The commitments of over US$65m announced today represent an important expression of confidence in Nigeria’s reform agenda and the opportunities for purposeful private sector participation in improving health outcomes,” he added.
The minister said the proposed investments would support skilled healthcare services, essential medical commodities, emergency obstetric and newborn care, innovation and stronger referral systems.
He stressed that the success of the compact would be assessed through improvements in maternal and newborn survival, noting that investments must align with national priorities and be properly accounted for.
The seven organisations that submitted Letters of Intent are DP World, Bayer, UNICEF, dsm-firmenich, Nestlé Nutrition Institute, Roche and Ferring Pharmaceuticals. Their proposed contributions will be evaluated against identified healthcare priorities and implementation gaps, with progress monitored through the Sector-Wide Approach framework.
The commitments build on existing engagement by the Gates Foundation, MSD for Mothers and MTN Group Foundation, while the World Economic Forum’s Global Alliance for Women’s Health supported efforts to mobilise industry partners and technical expertise.
The Nigeria Country Director of the Gates Foundation, Uche Amaonwu, said the compact would strengthen coordination among public, private and philanthropic organisations working to reduce preventable maternal and newborn deaths.
