The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to improving women’s health by deepening collaboration with civil society organisations (CSOs), professional bodies, and grassroots groups to address critical health challenges facing women in Nigeria.

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Women’s Health, Dr Adanna Steinacker, stated this during a stakeholders’ engagement in Abuja, noting that maternal health remains a major concern. She emphasised that reducing maternal mortality is a national priority.

Drawing on consultations with groups such as the Medical Women Association of Nigeria (MWAN), Steinacker highlighted recurring issues, including maternal health, sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), menstrual hygiene, access to family planning commodities, health education, and mental health. She stressed the importance of targeting underserved and vulnerable populations, describing them as the groups most in need of health resources and services.

Her office has opened communication channels with CSOs, leveraging digital platforms to enhance efficiency, while women across communities continue to call for improved access to contraception, autonomy in reproductive decisions, stigma-free SRHR services, and mental health support. “It’s not about one office; it’s about all of us shaping what will become Nigeria’s women’s health agenda,” Steinacker said.

Plans include establishing a technical working group and deploying digital platforms, including a real-time reporting dashboard, to facilitate continuous monitoring of community needs and feedback from CSOs. Steinacker also noted that the Bola Tinubu administration had, for the third time in Nigeria’s history, established an office dedicated solely to women’s health, demonstrating renewed political commitment.

The launch of RenewHer, the Presidential Women’s Health Transformation Initiative on September 11, 2025, defined the office’s mandate and anchored its work on three major pillars: maternal health, SRHR, and mental health. Across engagements held over the preceding two weeks, these three themes consistently emerged as top concerns.

Chairperson of the Health Sector Reform Coalition, Dr Mohammed Lecky, urged that women’s health be made a key national priority, particularly in light of upcoming elections. He highlighted challenges such as delayed health financing and low awareness of health insurance, and advocated for scaling up enrolment of women and children to improve access to essential services.

Lecky also stressed the need for direct engagement with rural women to better understand and amplify their health concerns and for stronger coordination across government ministries, agencies, and programmes to avoid duplication and strengthen impact.

Executive Director of Baobab for Women’s Human Rights, Bunmi Dipo-Salami, noted significant gaps in women’s reproductive health services, citing a lack of awareness of rights, inadequate service providers, and cultural or institutional restrictions.

She highlighted instances where male staff attended to women’s health services in hospitals and criticised the lack of coordination between relevant ministries. “These gaps must be addressed to ensure women’s health and rights are fully protected,” she said.