Nigeria Targets 172 LGAs With Maternal Health Incentives

The Federal Government has launched a new incentive programme targeting pregnant women in 172 local government areas across 33 states as part of efforts to reduce maternal and newborn deaths in Nigeria.

Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Salako, announced the programme Monday at its national flag-off in Abuja.

Salako said the targeted local government areas account for 55% of Nigeria’s maternal deaths, despite representing only about 20% of the country’s 774 LGAs.

He said Nigeria accounts for close to 29% of global maternal deaths, describing the situation as a major public health challenge.

“A Nigerian woman faces roughly a 1-in-19 lifetime risk of dying from pregnancy-related causes, compared with 1-in-4,900 in the most developed countries, and our country alone accounts for close to 29 per cent of global maternal deaths,” Salako said.

“Behind every one of these figures is a mother, a child, a family and a community diminished.”

The programme is being implemented under the Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative, known as MAMII, which was launched by the Federal Government in November 2024.

Salako said the initiative aims to reduce maternal deaths by 30% and neonatal deaths by 20% in the targeted areas by 2028, while providing free and comprehensive care to about 2.9 million pregnant women.

He said more than 250 health facilities in Bauchi, Borno, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina and Ogun states are already participating in MAMII.

More than 32,000 women and 1,700 newborns have benefited from emergency obstetric and neonatal care under the programme, while nearly 79,000 beneficiaries have been transported to health facilities through the National Emergency Medical Services and Ambulance System.

The minister said about 60% of those transported were pregnant women.

He said the new incentives were designed to encourage behaviours that could prevent avoidable deaths, including early antenatal registration, delivery in health facilities and postnatal follow-up.

“Today’s flag-off of incentives is our next deliberate step, rewarding and reinforcing the very behaviours we know save lives: early antenatal registration, facility delivery and postnatal follow-up,” Salako said.

The Federal Government said it would build on the progress recorded under MAMII and expand the interventions nationwide.