NEW YORK/LAGOS. The MTN Group Foundation and the Gates Foundation have committed about $25 million to cut maternal deaths in Nigeria through 2030. The partnership is called the Nigeria Maternal Health Multiplier. It was announced at a Semafor event on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly.
What the programme will do
The programme has three parts: phone-based, AI-assisted decision support for health workers and mothers; affordable smartphones and mobile data for pregnant women; and better connectivity at primary health facilities. By 2030 it aims to reach 500,000 women, 5,000 frontline health workers and 500 primary healthcare facilities.
The scale of the problem
The problem is large. Nigeria accounts for nearly 30 percent of maternal deaths worldwide. Its maternal mortality ratio has been estimated at 993 deaths per 100,000 live births. Only 59 percent of women complete four or more antenatal visits.
Government backing and funding structure
The programme builds on the Federal Ministry of Health’s Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative. Health Minister Muhammad Ali Pate said it would complement government efforts to strengthen primary care and frontline workers. The funding is a mix of direct and in-kind contributions from the two organisations.
Partners’ ambitions
Both partners framed the money as a starting point. They describe it as an anchor investment meant to attract more funding and support expansion to other markets. MTN Group chief executive Ralph Mupita said the aim is a model that can work across Africa, and Gates Foundation chief executive Mark Suzman stressed that AI benefits must reach the people who need them most.
Open questions
Important details are still missing. The announcement does not name the AI tools, the models behind them, or who will build them. Sustainability is also open. The foundation says the programme will test models involving affordable devices, enterprise connectivity, sponsored or zero-rated access, digital literacy and AI-enabled services, with the goal of running without long-term reliance on philanthropy.
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