Foundation Sounds Alarm on Failing Neonatal Care, Targets Public Hospitals
Mirian Gom 
LAGOS, Nigeria – The Joyce Ojemudia Foundation (JOF) warns that Nigeria’s persistently high neonatal mortality rate is driven by a critical shortage of functional medical equipment in public hospitals, particularly incubators for premature babies.
Founder Joyce Ojemudia says urgent intervention is needed to prevent avoidable infant deaths, as the foundation prepares to formally unveil its expanded operations in Lagos with a renewed focus on neonatal care and infertility support.
In a statement on Monday, Ojemudia explains that the foundation’s new phase aims to strengthen access to life-saving medical services for vulnerable families, while mobilising partnerships to address long-standing gaps in maternal and child healthcare.
“Nigeria continues to lose newborns not because solutions do not exist, but because essential equipment is missing or non-functional,” she says.
The foundation’s mission is deeply personal. Ojemudia reveals that years of infertility, repeated medical procedures and pregnancy losses shape her resolve to turn private pain into public advocacy.
She recalls a pivotal 2015 intervention in which emergency access to an incubator saves a premature baby’s life — an experience that, she says, exposes the systemic neglect of neonatal facilities in public hospitals.
JOF identifies inadequate neonatal infrastructure, particularly incubators and specialised care units, as a major contributor to infant mortality nationwide.
The Lagos unveiling is designed as a call to action, urging collaboration among corporate organisations, healthcare professionals, government agencies, civil society groups and the media.
Programmes will prioritise public hospitals lacking essential neonatal equipment, premature infants requiring advanced care, couples facing infertility challenges and vulnerable children in need of educational support.
Ojemudia says the foundation is committed to delivering practical medical assistance, supporting affected families and building scalable partnerships capable of extending impact nationwide.
“This is about saving lives and strengthening families,” she adds. “We cannot afford to look away.”
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