Health experts have urged Nigeria to adopt sustainable financing strategies to strengthen maternal and child health interventions, warning that without urgent reforms and coordinated action, the country risks stagnation. The call was made during a webinar organised by Development Governance International Consult (DGI Consult) on Monday, themed “Financing Maternal and Child Death-Crashing Interventions: Achieving Scale, Scope and Sustainability for Impact.”
The session examined financing options to support the government’s Maternal Mortality Reduction Innovation and Initiatives (MAMII). Chief Executive Officer of DGI Consult, Dr. Gafar Alawode, noted that for two decades, Nigeria’s interventions had been fragmented and “siloed”, tackling issues in isolation instead of through integrated efforts. He explained that the MAMII initiative aims to bridge these gaps by deploying large-scale, coordinated approaches.
Prof. Charles Ameh of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine observed that Nigeria had remained stuck in a “very high mortality phase” for 20 years. He stressed the need for increased investments, equitable distribution of health workers, and the adoption of digital health innovations. Lead of the MAMII Initiative, Dr. Dayo Adeyanju, explained that the programme is focused on 172 local government areas that account for more than half of the country’s maternal deaths. He highlighted strategies such as enrolling women in health insurance, improving emergency obstetric care, integrating traditional birth attendants into referral systems, and using community-based emergency transport supported by digital platforms to ensure faster responses to complications.
Ekiti State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Oyebanji Filani, shared lessons from governance reforms in his state, which included expanding health insurance coverage, strengthening supply chains, and conducting routine data-driven reviews. He recommended replicating such successful models in other states. Similarly, Dr. Olufunke Fasawe of the Clinton Health Access Initiative emphasised that integrated solutions—combining workforce training with broader system-wide interventions—are critical to reducing maternal and child mortality.
UNICEF’s representative, Dr. Sachin Bhokare, stressed the importance of strengthening government capacity in planning, budgeting, and tracking health expenditures. He urged Nigeria to integrate child health into national budgets as a priority while also ensuring accountability and transparency in spending. According to him, expanding health insurance for poor households is key to sustainable financing. Chief Moji Makanjuola, Chair of the Nigeria Universal Health Coverage Forum, added that civil society organisations play a vital role by amplifying community voices and holding leaders accountable. He stressed that citizen engagement must be central to making health a political priority and ensuring that policies reflect real community needs.
The meeting, attended by government officials, academics, civil society organisations, and development partners, concluded that Nigeria must embrace sustainable financing, strengthen governance, and scale up proven strategies to reduce preventable maternal and child deaths. Participants stressed that maternal health affects everyone, and the country can achieve measurable progress only through coordinated, well-financed, and accountable interventions.