Mirian Gom 
ABUJA, Nigeria – Civil society organisations and health advocates have called for stronger political commitment, increased health financing and better accountability to accelerate Nigeria’s progress towards its 2030 targets for women, children and adolescents.
The stakeholders made the call on Friday in Abuja during a meeting to review implementation of the 2026/2027 Collaborative Advocacy Action Plan (CAAP), convened by the Africa Health Budget Network (AHBN) with support from the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health (PMNCH).
The meeting focused on translating existing health commitments into action, particularly in maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health, reproductive health, health financing and accountability.
Regional Portfolio Director for Western Central Africa and Country Director of Pathfinder International Nigeria, Dr Amina Dorayi, said technology, including artificial intelligence, could help accelerate progress towards the 2030 targets.
She said achieving the goal of ensuring safe pregnancies, childbirth and newborn health would require sustained investment and collaboration among government, healthcare providers, development partners and communities. “Every pregnancy is safe, every delivery is safe, every newborn is healthy, every mother that has just given birth is healthy, irrespective of where she has delivered or where they live,” Dorayi said.
She called for resources to be directed towards health workers, medicines, infrastructure and essential services, particularly in rural and underserved communities.
Dorayi also stressed the need for stronger accountability in the use of health-sector funds, urging stakeholders to ensure that resources allocated to women and children are used for their intended purposes.
She called for greater investment in primary healthcare and stronger implementation of federal health reforms at state and local government levels. “It is not all about treatment; it is also about prevention. We need to also invest in health promotion and whatever it takes to ensure that women take responsibility for their health,” she said.
About the Author
Oluwatobi Adu 
Hope Ajayi 
