Mirian Gom 
ABUJA, Nigeria- The Federal Government says more than 2.1 million pregnant women are now accessing antenatal care under ongoing reforms designed to overhaul Nigeria’s struggling healthcare system.
Coordinator of the Sector-Wide Approach, Muntaqa Umar-Sadiq, says the reforms are already improving healthcare delivery in priority local government areas through investments in governance, infrastructure and emergency maternal care.
Government data also show that 774 Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care facilities have been assessed nationwide to identify critical equipment and infrastructure gaps.
According to Umar-Sadiq, 251 secondary healthcare facilities will receive new medical equipment to strengthen labour wards, operating theatres, pharmacies and neonatal units.
“The point of this reform is to address longstanding issues in the health sector, from fragmentation to infrastructure and accountability gaps,” he says.
The reforms are being implemented under the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative in partnership with state governments and the National Health Insurance Authority.
Officials say governance and accountability reforms remain central to improving healthcare outcomes, especially for mothers and newborns.
The government also says the reforms aim to tackle demand-side barriers preventing vulnerable Nigerians from accessing affordable healthcare services.
Health sector analysts say the scale of the intervention reflects growing pressure on Nigeria’s maternal healthcare system, which continues to record some of the world’s highest maternal mortality figures.
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Oluwatobi Adu 
Hussaini Ibrahim 
