The Rotary Foundation has reaffirmed its commitment to improving maternal and child health in Nigeria through the Together for Healthy Families in Nigeria programme.

Chair of the Rotary Foundation, Holger Knaack, described the initiative as one of its most impactful programmes in Africa. Speaking in Abuja during a session with the Rotary Action Group for Reproductive, Maternal, and Child Health (Rotary-RMCH), Knaack highlighted the programme’s success in reducing maternal and child mortality in participating communities.

“What we are seeing is the result of more than 25 years of collaboration among Rotarians, the Rotary Foundation, volunteers, and government health officials. Together, we have achieved a reduction in maternal and child mortality. That is the true impact of partnership,” Knaack said.

The programme initially started as a $2 million initiative but has now grown to nearly $5 million through additional support and international partnerships, including contributions from Germany. The Sir Emeka Offor Foundation has also pledged another $5 million in the coming years to sustain the project’s success.

Trustee of the Rotary Foundation, Ijeoma Okoro, described the expansion as a milestone for Nigeria, noting that it is the second Programme of Scale approved globally by Rotary Foundation.

“We hit the ground running in Nigeria and are already recording success in maternal and child care. The programme has attracted scaling partners, allowing us to extend beyond the initial four pilot locations to other states,” Okoro said.

Prof. Adedolapo Lufadeju, National Coordinator and Country Director of the programme, explained that the initiative provides mothers and newborns with targeted healthcare to improve systemic access to life-saving services. The programme’s overall objective is to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality by 25%.

The project began in November 2022 across four locations:

• FCT (Abuja Municipal Area Council)
• Nasarawa (Akwanga and Lafia councils)
• Gombe (Gombe and Yamaltu Deba councils)
• Ekiti (Ado-Ekiti and Ijero councils)

Initially covering 49 facilities, the programme has now expanded to 103 facilities across the same locations, reflecting its early success and growing impact.

“The expansion ensures that more mothers and newborns benefit from quality healthcare, directly contributing to healthier communities across Nigeria,” Prof. Lufadeju added.