The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to reducing maternal and neonatal mortality in Nigeria, unveiling a series of strategic reforms and interventions aimed at improving the quality, accessibility, and timeliness of care for mothers and newborns.
Speaking at the commemoration of Safe Motherhood Day 2026 in Abuja, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare emphasized that while Nigeria has made measurable progress in expanding access to maternal health services, significant gaps remain in ensuring quality and equitable care for all women.
Highlighting this year’s theme, “Closing the Gap: From Coverage to Quality Care for Every Mother,” the Minister stressed that access alone is insufficient without delivering timely, respectful, and evidence-based care. According to him, the government is now shifting focus toward strengthening health systems to ensure better outcomes for mothers and newborns nationwide.
A key milestone, he noted, is the expansion of the Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative (MAMII), which is now operational in 32 states. The initiative is driving targeted, data-driven interventions, improving emergency obstetric and newborn care, and strengthening referral systems to ensure no woman is left behind.
In addition, the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) is scaling up financial access to Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (CEmONC) services. Since its rollout, over 32,000 women and 1,700 newborns have benefited, with more than 250 health facilities currently implementing the programme across the country.
The Minister also disclosed significant progress under the National Emergency Medical Service and Ambulance System (NEMSAS), particularly through the Referral System and Medical Ambulance Transport (RESMAT) services. Currently operational in 136 of the 172 MAMII local government areas, the programme has deployed 612 ambulances across 340 LGAs and facilitated the transportation of over 78,000 patients, with pregnant women accounting for about 60 percent of beneficiaries.
Further gains have been recorded in antenatal care attendance and skilled birth deliveries. Data from the fourth quarter of 2025 shows a 20 percent increase in ANC4 attendance in MAMII-implementing LGAs. Additionally, more than 166,000 previously unregistered pregnant women have been identified and linked to primary healthcare services across eight high-burden states.
To strengthen service delivery, the government has distributed 111,000 mama kits nationwide, with procurement ongoing for an additional 215,000 kits. Essential maternal and newborn health commodities have also been supplied to nearly 1,000 primary healthcare centres, reaching an estimated 1.2 million women and their babies.
Human resource capacity has also received a boost, with the recruitment of over 2,000 skilled birth attendants and 3,000 community health workers across several states, alongside ongoing recruitment in others.
As part of efforts to institutionalize quality care, the government unveiled new policy instruments, including standardized Obstetrics Clinical and Newborn Service Protocols, revised Antenatal Care Guidelines aligned with global best practices, and Life Saving Skills training packages for frontline health workers. A comprehensive implementation guide for MAMII was also introduced to support coordinated and results-driven interventions at all levels.
The Minister described these efforts as a shift from fragmented interventions to a more integrated, systems-based approach to maternal healthcare delivery.
In her welcome address, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare reiterated the importance of collaboration among stakeholders, noting that quality care remains the most critical factor in reducing maternal deaths. She emphasized that ongoing reforms, including improved referral systems, expanded insurance coverage, and strengthened community health services, are designed to ensure better health outcomes.
Both officials called on state governments, healthcare workers, development partners, and communities to sustain momentum and work collectively toward ending preventable maternal deaths.
“Every maternal death is preventable and unacceptable,” the Minister said, urging stakeholders to translate policies into concrete actions that ensure every woman survives pregnancy and childbirth.
Safe Motherhood Day is observed annually to raise awareness and mobilize action toward improving maternal and newborn health, with this year’s commemoration focusing on closing persistent gaps in quality care across Nigeria.