FG secures $65m pledges to reduce maternal, newborn deaths

Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Ali Pate

The Federal Government has secured financial and in-kind commitments estimated at over $65m from seven private sector and philanthropic organisations to support efforts to reduce preventable maternal and newborn deaths in Nigeria.

The commitments, submitted through Letters of Intent under the Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative Private Sector Compact, are expected to address critical healthcare delivery gaps in 172 local government areas identified as having the highest burden of maternal and newborn deaths.

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof Muhammad 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 is designed to align private sector investments, technical expertise, products and supply chains with government-identified maternal and newborn health priorities under the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative and its Sector-Wide Approach, according to a statement released by MAMII following the event.

Nigeria records an estimated 40,000 maternal deaths and approximately 300,000 newborn deaths annually, translating to more than 100 women and 800 newborns dying daily, according to figures cited by the ministry.

Speaking at the event, Pate said reducing preventable maternal and newborn deaths remained a national priority under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

He said, “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.”

The minister said the government was bringing federal and state governments, private sector organisations and development partners together under a common national plan, with particular attention to the 172 local government areas where maternal mortality was highest.

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“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.

Pate said the government expected the commitments to translate into investments in skilled healthcare, essential commodities, emergency obstetric and newborn services, innovation and stronger referral systems.

He stressed that the success of the compact would be measured by improvements in maternal and newborn survival, adding that every investment must be aligned with national priorities and accounted for.

The seven organisations that submitted Letters of Intent were DP World, Bayer, UNICEF, dsm-firmenich, Nestlé Nutrition Institute, Roche and Ferring Pharmaceuticals.

Their proposed contributions will be assessed against identified priorities and implementation gaps, while progress will be monitored through the Sector-Wide Approach framework.

The new commitments build on the engagement of the Gates Foundation, MSD for Mothers and MTN Group Foundation, while the World Economic Forum’s Global Alliance for Women’s Health supported the mobilisation of 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.