Get Guardian on GoogleThe Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) and Grand Challenges Nigeria (GCNg) are set to showcase eight locally developed health innovations aimed at addressing critical maternal, newborn and child health challenges at their 2026 Annual Meeting and Innovation Exchange scheduled for Friday, November 13, in Abuja.
The meeting, with the theme, “Innovation to Impact: Evidence, Adoption, Uptake and Scale for Better Health in Nigeria,” will bring together state governments, researchers, government institutions, development partners and financing stakeholders to explore ways of translating Nigerian-led research into practical healthcare solutions.
The exchange, scheduled to hold at Lake Greenfield Hotel, will focus on the institutional capacity, policy decisions and sustainable financing required to move promising health innovations beyond the research stage to practical implementation across the country.
Eight projects supported by Grand Challenges Nigeria, focusing on maternal, newborn and child health, will feature prominently at the meeting.
The projects address critical healthcare challenges, including newborn sepsis diagnosis, umbilical cord care, community-supported digital healthcare, emergency maternal referrals, birth-defect identification, perinatal asphyxia research, digital risk support and the prediction of severe pre-eclampsia.
According to the organisers, the showcase will provide an opportunity for stakeholders to examine research findings and practical implementation experiences while identifying the additional evidence and institutional support required to advance the innovations.
Discussions will also explore policy frameworks for adoption, replication across states, financing opportunities and the conditions necessary to ensure that promising research translates into measurable improvements in healthcare delivery.
The involvement of the NGF is expected to bring state-level implementation priorities into the discussions, considering the critical role state governments play in delivering healthcare services, particularly maternal and child health interventions.
The exchange will also provide opportunities for peer learning among states on integrating evidence-based innovations into existing healthcare systems and developing sustainable financing arrangements.
The African University of Science and Technology will contribute a Policy Lab focusing on the institutional decisions and policy frameworks required to translate research into practical interventions.
Grand Challenges Nigeria was launched in November 2024 as a national platform supporting locally led research and innovation in health and food security.
Anchored by the Nutrition Society of Nigeria, the initiative operates in partnership with the Office of the Vice President and the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology.
It is supported by the Gates Foundation, with technical assistance from the Science for Africa Foundation, and forms part of the wider Grand Challenges family of initiatives.
The organisers said the November 13 meeting would help identify additional evidence, institutional engagement and financing requirements for promising innovations as they move towards their next stages of development.
They, however, clarified that participation in the exchange or inclusion in the innovation showcase does not constitute a commitment to fund or adopt any of the featured projects.
They also stressed that research findings should be interpreted within their stated limitations as stakeholders assess their suitability for wider implementation.
Attendance at the meeting will be by invitation, while media organisations seeking interviews or coverage arrangements have been advised to contact the Grand Challenges Nigeria secretariat ahead of the event.
