New Digital Initiative Aims to Help 500,000 Nigerian Women

In a significant step towards improving maternal healthcare access, MTN Group Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation have launched a four-year, $25 million initiative called the Nigeria Maternal Health Multiplier. This platform uses artificial intelligence (AI) to provide personalized health guidance to pregnant women and digital tools to support frontline health workers.

The program will focus on providing comprehensive care throughout pregnancy, childbirth, and the postnatal period, particularly for women in underserved communities. By 2030, organizers aim to reach 500,000 women with improved healthcare access and equip 5,000 health workers with digital tools.

The Maternal Health Multiplier combines AI-powered phone apps with affordable smartphones and data plans, ensuring that essential health information reaches even remote areas. For health workers, the platform offers real-time guidance and helps identify potential complications during pregnancy and delivery.

According to program leaders, only 59% of women in Nigeria currently complete four or more antenatal care visits, highlighting a critical gap this initiative seeks to address. The partnership will complement existing government programs rather than create parallel systems.

“This demonstrates how digital transformation can be applied to healthcare challenges,” said Nigerian Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy Bosun Tijani. “We want to see more collaborations that leverage technology for the benefit of all Nigerians.”

The initiative builds on Nigeria’s existing Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative (MAMII) and represents a coordinated effort between MTN’s connectivity infrastructure and the Gates Foundation’s expertise in global health.