By Omoyeni Ojeifo
The ongoing 2026 Joint Annual Review (JAR) is highlighting more than $65 million in proposed financial and in-kind commitments from seven private-sector and philanthropic organisations to reduce maternal and newborn deaths, while addressing broader health sector reforms.
The commitments were announced on Wednesday, during the launch of the Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative (MAMII) Private Sector Compact, by Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare.
Persecondnews correspondent at the review, reports that the seven organisations include DP World, Bayer, UNICEF, dsm-firmenich, Nestlé Nutrition Institute, Roche and Ferring Pharmaceuticals.
Their proposed contributions include financial resources, medical products, technical expertise, supply-chain support and other services to address gaps in maternal and newborn healthcare delivery.
The Compact will focus on 172 high-burden local government areas across 33 states, bringing private investment and other resources into efforts to improve maternal and newborn health.
According to the minister, the partnership would bring federal and state governments, the private sector and development partners together under a common national framework.
“Through the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative and our Sector-Wide Approach, we are bringing federal and state governments, the private sector and development partners together around a common national plan, with particular attention to the 172 local government areas where the burden of maternal mortality is greatest,” he said.
He described the commitments as an important step towards improving healthcare delivery and an expression of confidence in Nigeria’s reform agenda.
“Our responsibility is to ensure that every commitment is aligned with national priorities, every investment is accounted for, and every intervention contributes to measurable improvements in the lives of Nigerian women and children,” Pate said.
The minister also launched national policy instruments and clinical guidelines covering emergency obstetric and newborn care, obstetric fistula, sexual and reproductive health, family planning, and task shifting and task sharing.
“Through TEAM OB/NEO, the Ministry is strengthening clinical training and frontline capacity to improve the management of obstetric and newborn emergencies, he added.
In his remarks , the Nigeria Country Director of the Gates Foundation, Uche Amaonwu, said the MAMII Compact would coordinate public, private and philanthropic resources to reduce preventable maternal and newborn deaths.
He identified the foundation’s collaboration with MSD for Mothers, MTN Group Foundation and the World Economic Forum’s Global Alliance for Women’s Health as part of the effort.
Meanwhile, at a nutrition side event organised in collaboration with the Office of the Vice President, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Salako, while declaring the JAR scientific conference open, called for harmonised health indicators and credible data to guide policy decisions.
He outlined research benchmarks, including alignment with the 2025–2026 Mini-DHS baselines and a maximum 10-percentage-point gap between routine and survey data, at the event themed, “From Commitment to Impact: Reaching Every Community with Nutrition.”
The benchmarks also include annual readiness assessments of all 8,309 directly financed primary healthcare centres and credible evaluations of MAMII, the Basic Health Care Provision Fund and the pro-poor programme.
Of the 242 abstracts received for the conference, 59 were selected for presentation.
The interventions will include multiple micronutrient supplements for pregnant women, infant and young child feeding counselling, vitamin A supplementation, and early detection and treatment of wasting.
Nutrition indicators will also feature in the Sector-Wide Approach results framework and JAR scorecards.
Representing the Vice President, Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Sen. Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia, announced that the National Food and Nutrition Bill had been approved for transmission to the National Assembly.
He urged states to establish functional nutrition committees and release allocated funds.
The Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Daju Kachollom said the Ministry would translate the Governors’ Addis Ababa Commitment into measurable deliverables across all 774 local government areas.
She also identified stronger nutrition data, accountability and community-based mother-to-mother support as priorities.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Health and Focal Person on Nutrition, Uju Rochas, disclosed that more than 450 local government areas had established nutrition committees.
She added that the Child Nutrition Fund had reached US$52 million, comprising US$26 million from Nigeria matched equally by development partners.
A nine-month delivery cycle will begin in four high-burden states, with stunting-reduction targets and scorecards to track progress.
On his part, the National Coordinator of the Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain, Dr. Mukhtar Abdul, highlighted progress in local production of insecticide-treated nets, diagnostic manufacturing and expanded medical oxygen capacity.
He also highlighted pharmaceutical investments, including an active pharmaceutical ingredient plant expected to commence operations in the first quarter of 2027, with PVAC targeting support for more than 200 pharmaceutical manufacturers through financing initiatives.
PerSecondNews correspondent reports that 2026 Joint Annual Review (JAR), is holding from November 10 to 12 in Abuja under the theme, “Together to Higher Ground: Make Reform Data Count.”