In a renewed push to stop women from dying while giving life, the Lagos State Government, in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Health and development partners, has unveiled a major initiative designed to drastically reduce preventable maternal and newborn deaths through better data use, stronger coordination, and inclusive health reforms.
The initiative, known as the Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative (MAMII), officially kicked off in Lagos on Monday with a five-day activation workshop in Alausa, Ikeja, bringing together government officials, health experts, and international agencies including the World Health Organization (WHO).
It is part of Nigeria’s National Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII), which seeks to reduce maternal deaths by 30 per cent and improve health facility use by 60 per cent in high-burden areas by 2030.
Declaring the workshop open, the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, said saving mothers and infants from preventable deaths is not only a health target but a moral duty of government.
He described maternal and infant mortality as a “persistent national tragedy” that Lagos is determined to end through scientific planning and local solutions.
“Reducing maternal and infant deaths is not just a health goal, it’s a moral obligation,” Abayomi said.
“The moment you cross into Lagos, you become the responsibility of the government, and if you have a health issue, you become my responsibility.”
While Lagos is considered one of Nigeria’s most developed states, the Commissioner admitted that the state faces unique challenges due to its dense population and daily influx of over 3,000 new residents.
He said the government is taking a data-driven approach to understand the true magnitude of the problem. “Even with better infrastructure and human resources than most states, Lagos must do more to ensure equitable access to quality healthcare,” he noted.
Abayomi revealed that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has made health insurance mandatory for all residents through an executive order that domesticates the National Health Insurance Authority Act, ensuring that no one is denied care because of financial constraints.
He also disclosed that the government is upgrading 47 of its 327 Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) this year to bridge ward-level gaps in access. Additionally, the proposed University of Medicine and Health Sciences, he said, will train up to 3,000 health professionals annually within five years to solve manpower shortages.
“We are working to make Lagos a state with both eyes open — not a one-eyed giant among the blind,” he added, stressing that the administration’s goal is to make Lagos a model of health equity and accountability.
Speaking at the event, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Dr. (Mrs.) Kemi Ogunyemi, identified data, coordination, and nutrition as key to saving mothers and infants.
She described maternal and child mortality as a critical public health challenge requiring urgent collective action.
“Lagos currently ranks third in maternal and infant deaths nationally, but this is not a ranking we are proud of,” she said.
Dr. Ogunyemi attributed part of the problem to the city’s rapid urbanization and population surge, which constantly strain healthcare infrastructure.
She emphasized that malnutrition remains a silent killer of children and must be tackled alongside medical interventions.
She said the government is decentralizing health management across its six health districts to ensure accountability and tailor interventions to community realities. Collaboration with the private sector and non-governmental organizations, she added, remains key under the state’s T.H.E.M.E.S+ Agenda, which prioritizes health and the environment.
Giving an overview of the MAMII framework, Dr. Dayo Adeyanju, the National MAMII Lead, said the initiative targets the root causes of maternal deaths by addressing delays in seeking and accessing care and improving the quality of service delivery.
According to him, MAMII focuses on data-driven, context-specific interventions and multi-sector collaboration to make maternal care more effective and inclusive.
He said the federal strategy aims at measurable improvements through structured resource allocation, performance management, and community engagement.
“Our goal is to achieve a 30 per cent reduction in maternal mortality and a 60 per cent rise in facility-based deliveries by 2030,” he said.
On the newborn front, Dr. Beatrice Ezenwa, an Associate Professor of Neonatology and Lagos State Focal Person for the Nigeria Society of Neonatal Medicine, disclosed that neonatal deaths now account for 37 per cent of all under-five deaths in Nigeria.
She said the state is prioritizing essential newborn care, digital health training for frontline workers, and the upgrade of Special Care Baby Units (SCBUs) to save more lives.
“Every child should survive and thrive through coordinated, data-driven, and sustainable interventions,” she said.
In her goodwill message, Dr. Joy Ufere, WHO’s Technical Officer for Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health, reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to supporting Lagos and Nigeria in achieving zero preventable deaths.
She commended Lagos for its proactive leadership and urged participants to design practical and measurable solutions during the workshop.
“We expect that the outcomes from Lagos will serve as a model for other states,” Ufere said, emphasizing the need for collaboration and technical engagement among all partners.
The Director of Healthcare Planning, Research and Statistics, Dr. Olajumoke Oyenuga, said the workshop would help identify and eliminate the five key delays that lead to maternal deaths, from delayed decision-making to inadequate care at health facilities.
“The causes are multifactorial, but through MAMII, we are uniting all stakeholders to provide coordinated solutions,” she stated.
Similarly, Dr. Oyeyemi Ogunjobi, SWAp Desk Officer, explained that the workshop will produce a state-specific intervention suite, conduct community deep-dive assessments, and secure stakeholder commitments for sustainable implementation.
On financing, Dr. Mufutau Kehinde from the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) said the Financing Access to CEmONC Program addresses the “three delays” in maternal care, decision-making, transport, and treatment, through structured funding and facility reimbursements.
He noted that the program has been piloted in federal, state, and faith-based hospitals to remove financial and operational barriers to emergency obstetric and newborn services.
Also speaking, Mrs. Zuleiqatu Pullo from the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), emphasized the importance of the Maternal, Perinatal and Child Death Surveillance and Response (MPCDSR) system in tracking and preventing deaths, calling for more digital reporting and funding through the NOQA platform.
The five-day workshop, which runs till Friday, October 10, 2025, brings together policymakers, healthcare workers, development partners, and community leaders to co-create a comprehensive, evidence-based action plan to improve maternal and child health in Lagos.
If implemented effectively, MAMII is expected to strengthen the health system’s responsiveness, reduce avoidable deaths, and make Lagos a model of safe motherhood and newborn survival in Nigeria.