The Healthcare Federation of Nigeria (HFN) Women’s Forum on Friday awarded ₦1 million to five female students who developed innovative solutions to healthcare challenges in the country.

The forum presented the cheques to the winners at its office in Lagos, where they shared their future plans and how they intend to push their ideas further.

The organisers said the Pitchathon attracted entries across Nigeria, with judges shortlisting five finalists who pitched their ideas live during the HFN 2025 annual conference in March, and three emerged winners based on originality, impact and presentation strength.

President of HFN, Mrs Njide Ndili, said the Women’s Forum, which launched in 2023, aims to mentor and support the next generation of female healthcare leaders.

“The Women’s Forum started in 2023 to create a space where young female students or graduates can grow into leaders in the healthcare sector,” she said.

“We organised this Pitchathon so they could pitch their ideas before experienced judges. These top three impressed us with bold, brilliant solutions that address real problems. The prize money will help them take the next step.”

Miss Anita Orji and Miss Oluwakemi Ifedoyin, won the ₦500,000 first prize for developing CODE-RED, a digital emergency platform that helps users find hospitals, track bed space, contact ambulances, and access first aid tips in real time.

400-level medical students, Miss Mukhtarah Banire and Miss Zoheeroh Andu took the ₦300,000 second prize for Her Aid, a maternal health initiative that promotes antenatal care, postnatal support, and advocacy to reduce maternal mortality.

Pharmacy student Miss Erinibi Salami received the ₦200,000 third prize for My Drug Aida, a cloud-based platform that links electronic medical records across hospitals to ensure continuity in patient care.

Chief Executive Officer of Cerba Lancet, Dr Yemi Dawodu, who served on the judging panel, praised the quality of entries and described the winners as forward-thinking and solution-driven.

“We received many entries and narrowed them down to three,” she said.

“These three pitched live at our annual conference and stood out. My Drug Aida focuses on data continuity. Her Aid addresses

maternal health. CODE-RED connects emergency stakeholders in real time. These are student-led ideas, and they were presented with impressive clarity and depth.”

Public Relations Secretary of HFN, Mrs Chinyere Okorocha, said the forum remains committed to identifying and nurturing young talent across the country’s healthcare sector.

“CODE-RED came out on top, but all three projects were strong,” she said.

“It’s inspiring to see young women using innovation to tackle serious health issues. HFN includes professionals across the healthcare value chain, doctors, pharmacists, lawyers, nurses, customs officials, among others, and this initiative reflects the power of collaboration.”