The Federal Government has emphasised the need for concrete actions to ensure that health facilities deliver quality care to safeguard the lives of mothers and newborns across the country.

Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, who spoke at an event organised by the ministry to mark Safe Motherhood Day, said the government has introduced new policies and service delivery instruments to strengthen maternal and newborn care nationwide.

These include the revised Antenatal Care (ANC) Guidelines, the Obstetrics Clinical and Newborn Service Protocol, Life-Saving Skills (LSS) and Expanded LSS training packages, Maternal and Newborn Health Commodity Reporting Tools, the Maternal and Newborn Product Introduction Plan, and the MAMII Comprehensive Guide.

Pate reaffirmed the government’s commitment to strengthening health systems, improving the quality of care, and ensuring that no woman or newborn is left behind. He noted that this year’s theme, “Closing the Gap: From Coverage to Quality Care for Every Mother,” with the slogan, “Care That Saves. Systems That Deliver,” underscores that access alone is not enough, as quality, timeliness, and equity of care are critical to saving lives.

The minister disclosed that human resource capacity has been strengthened with the recruitment of over 2,000 skilled birth attendants and 3,000 community-based health workers across eight states: Yobe, Kaduna, Ebonyi, Borno, Kano, Katsina, Niger, and Plateau, while additional states are at advanced stages of recruitment.

He observed that although Nigeria has made measurable progress in expanding access to maternal health services, gaps remain, particularly in ensuring that every pregnant woman receives respectful, evidence-based, and life-saving care when and where it is needed.

Pate also highlighted the expansion of Nigeria’s emergency medical response under NEMSAS/RESMAT, which has improved access to timely lifesaving services, especially for pregnant women.

According to him, RESMAT services are now operational in 136 of the 172 MAMII local government areas (LGAs), while Emergency Medical Teams (EMTs) have been established across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, with active operations in 20 states.

He added that 612 ambulances have been deployed across 340 LGAs to strengthen referral systems and rapid response capacity nationwide.

He noted that the programme has facilitated the transportation of 78,962 beneficiaries so far, with pregnant women accounting for about 60 per cent—approximately 47,000—highlighting its impact in reducing delays in accessing skilled care.

The minister identified the Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative (MAMII) as a key milestone in improving maternal and newborn outcomes. The initiative has now been activated in 32 states, marking a significant scale-up of targeted, data-driven interventions.

He explained that MAMII focuses on strengthening service delivery, enhancing emergency obstetric and newborn care, and improving referral systems to ensure no woman is left behind.

Pate further disclosed that the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) is expanding financial access to Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (CEmONC) services to eliminate cost barriers.

“Since the programme was launched, more than 32,000 women and 1,700 newborns have benefitted from emergency obstetric and neonatal care. Currently, over 250 health facilities are implementing the programme, with more at various stages of readiness,” he said.

He added that Nigeria has recorded a significant increase in antenatal care attendance and deliveries attended by skilled birth providers, including a 20 per cent rise in ANC4 attendance in the fourth quarter of 2025 compared to the third quarter in LGAs implementing MAMII.

In addition, 166,463 previously unregistered pregnant women have been identified, traced within communities, and linked to primary healthcare centres for antenatal and delivery services across eight states—Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Yobe, Sokoto, and Zamfara.

The minister said 111,000 mama kits have been distributed nationwide, with procurement of an additional 215,000 ongoing for the 172 MAMII LGAs. He added that 20 priority maternal and newborn health commodities have been supplied to 968 primary healthcare centres in 80 LGAs across 10 states, reaching an estimated 1.2 million women and newborns.

He also disclosed that 243,198 family planning commodities have been distributed to 19 states, while 10,167 sexual and reproductive health equipment units have been delivered nationwide. “These interventions reflect a shift from fragmented efforts to a coordinated, systems-based approach. Safe motherhood is achieved not by isolated actions, but by strong systems that function effectively at every level, from the community to tertiary facilities,” he said.

Pate explained that the Obstetrics Clinical and Newborn Service Protocol provides standardised, evidence-based guidance for healthcare workers to deliver quality care during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postnatal period.

He added that the revised ANC guidelines align with global best practices and World Health Organisation recommendations, promoting early booking, increased contact with skilled providers, comprehensive risk screening, and continuity of care.

The minister noted that the Maternal and Newborn Product Introduction Plan ensures coordinated rollout of priority health commodities through improved planning, supply chain readiness, provider training, and community awareness.
He called on state governments to sustain and scale the interventions, while urging health workers to continue delivering compassionate, high-quality care.

Earlier, the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Daju Kachollom, said the theme of the event challenges the country to move beyond access and ensure that every interaction with the health system results in safe, effective, and respectful care.

She acknowledged progress in expanding maternal health service coverage but stressed that quality, timeliness, and skilled care remain the defining factors in saving lives.

Kachollom said the ministry is advancing key interventions, including the empanelment of facilities to provide CEmONC services, expansion of health insurance coverage, and restructuring of the community health workforce to strengthen service delivery at the grassroots.

“These efforts reflect our commitment to building a resilient health system that delivers not just services, but quality outcomes for every mother and every child,” she said, calling for stronger collaboration among government, development partners, civil society, and communities,” she added.