MTN Group Foundation and the Gates Foundation have launched the Nigeria Maternal Health Multiplier, a four-year initiative designed to improve maternal health outcomes through a digital ecosystem connecting women, frontline health workers and primary healthcare facilities.
The initiative will combine digital health tools, affordable device and data access, and improved connectivity at healthcare facilities to support women throughout pregnancy, childbirth and the postnatal period.
By 2030, the programme aims to help 500,000 women access trusted health guidance, equip 5,000 frontline health workers with tools to identify pregnancy and childbirth complications earlier, and support 500 health facilities in delivering more consistent, higher-quality maternal healthcare.
The platform will include AI-enabled, phone-based decision-support tools for mothers and frontline health workers. Connected devices will provide health workers with real-time guidance, while affordable smartphones and mobile data will help reduce cost barriers for pregnant women.
The programme will also strengthen connectivity at primary healthcare facilities, particularly in underserved communities where limited access to information, technology and reliable networks can affect healthcare delivery.
The initiative builds on Nigeria’s Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative (MAMII), being implemented by the Federal Ministry of Health under its Sector-Wide Approach. The partnership is intended to complement existing maternal health reforms rather than operate separately from the country’s healthcare system.
The programme comes as Nigeria continues to face a significant maternal health burden. The country accounts for nearly 30% of maternal deaths globally, while only 59% of women complete four or more antenatal care visits, according to figures cited by the initiative.
The four-year partnership was announced at Semafor’s Next 3 Billion event on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York. It begins with an initial investment of approximately US$25 million between 2026 and 2030, including direct and in-kind contributions from MTN and the Gates Foundation.
Dr. Bosun Tijani, Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, said partnerships that strengthen foundational systems can help translate digital transformation into practical benefits for communities.
Dr. Muhammad Ali Pate, Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, said collaboration with existing health systems and support for frontline health workers are important to strengthening primary healthcare and reaching underserved mothers.
MTN Group President and CEO Ralph Mupita said the initiative seeks to demonstrate how technology and locally relevant digital health tools can improve access to maternal and child health support.
The partnership combines MTN’s connectivity infrastructure, digital inclusion capabilities, mobile financial services and device distribution networks with the Gates Foundation’s expertise in maternal, newborn and child health, digital health innovation, responsible AI and evidence-based scale-up.
