WBFA at the MAMII Implementation Design Workshop, Ilorin (July–August 2025)
The Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative (MAMII) Implementation Design Workshop, held in Ilorin, Kwara State, from 28 July to 1 August 2025, brought together national and subnational health leaders, Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp) teams, development partners, and civil society actors to shape the future of maternal and newborn health in Nigeria.
As a Foundation grounded in both frontline service delivery and policy advocacy, the Wellbeing Foundation Africa (WBFA) was proud to play an active role as a trusted technical partner within the Facility and Service Readiness Cluster. The workshop provided a vital platform to align strategies and ensure that national ambition can be translated into meaningful subnational action, particularly across the 172 local government areas that account for over half of maternal and neonatal deaths in the country.
The WBFA team contributed practical, people-centred recommendations informed by our maternal and child health programmes and our Emergency Obstetric and Neonatal Care initiatives, which strengthen the capacity of healthcare workers to respond effectively to emergencies. These contributions were deeply rooted in our long-standing commitment to evidence-based interventions and community-led solutions that prioritise the well-being of mothers and newborns.
MAMII’s framework, structured around six pillars—community engagement, equitable access, facility readiness, data governance, digital innovation, and coordination through SWAp—ensured a comprehensive approach to tackling maternal and neonatal mortality. Guided by the leadership of Nigeria’s Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, the initiative is creating a unified platform where government, partners, and private actors work together under a single health reform agenda.
For WBFA, participation in this process reaffirmed the belief that maternal and newborn survival must be treated not only as a national health priority but also as a collective responsibility. Through bilateral engagements during the workshop, including strategic discussions with Dr Dayo Adeyanju, National Coordinator of MAMII, WBFA reinforced its commitment to advancing implementation across focal states with aligned, rights-based, and community-driven programmes.
As the deliberations concluded, it was evident that progress in reducing maternal and newborn mortality will depend on sustained collaboration, resource mobilisation, and shared accountability. WBFA remains dedicated to ensuring that every mother is supported to survive childbirth, every newborn is given an equal start in life, and no one is left behind in the pursuit of stronger health systems and better outcomes for all Nigerians.