MAMI Initiative Targets 172 LGAs to Reduce Maternal Mortality in Nigeria – Adeojo
By Pan Afric Reporters
The National Lead of the Maternal and Newborn Health (MAMI) initiative, Dr. Dayo Adeojo, has said targeted interventions across 172 priority local government areas contributing 55 per cent of maternal deaths in Nigeria are beginning to yield positive results in the country’s efforts to reduce maternal mortality.
Adeojo disclosed this on the sidelines of the 2026 Joint Annual Review of the health sector, attributing the improvements recorded to the Federal Government’s ongoing healthcare reforms under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu and the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate.
He identified increased access to healthcare facilities, improved antenatal care attendance and a rise in skilled birth deliveries as some of the notable achievements recorded between 2023 and 2026.
According to him, these interventions are already translating into early improvements in maternal health outcomes, alongside increased uptake of family planning services and a reduction in pregnancy-related complications.
Speaking on the MAMI initiative, Adeojo explained that its interventions were strategically concentrated in 172 priority local government areas identified as contributing approximately 55 per cent of maternal mortality in the country.
He said the targeted approach had helped reduce maternal mortality figures in the intervention areas, describing the progress as one of the significant achievements being reviewed at the 2026 health sector gathering.
“Those are our focus priority LGAs, 172 of them that contribute 55 per cent of maternal mortality. We are able to intervene and then drop the figure. This is what we are celebrating today in this review,” he said.
While acknowledging that Nigeria still had considerable ground to cover, Adeojo expressed confidence that sustained implementation of the reforms would accelerate progress towards eliminating preventable maternal and child deaths.
“We are not there yet, but we know that with sustained momentum, we will definitely ensure that no woman dies bringing another life, and no child dies before the age of five,” he said.
