Experts urge Stronger Policy and Regulatory Alignment to Accelerate MNCH Innovations in Nigeria

Experts have called for stronger policy, regulatory, and clinical leadership alignment to accelerate maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH) innovation across Nigeria. Speaking at the NAFDAC MNCH Week on November 11, 2025, Prof. Taiwo G. Amole, a deputy director Research at ACEPHAP, Kano, highlighted the urgent need for coordinated action to address Nigeria’s persistently high maternal and newborn mortality rates. She emphasized that fragmented service delivery systems, uneven quality of care, and slow adoption of proven innovations continue to hinder progress in MNCH outcomes.

ACEPHAP’s contributions were showcased as a model for strengthening the MNCH innovation ecosystem. The centre currently supports a portfolio of impactful intervention, including EMOTIVE for postpartum hemorrhage management, immunization, e. t. c. According to Prof. Amole, effective scale-up depends on four interconnected pillars: strong policy direction, regulatory enablement, clinical leadership, and disciplined implementation. This approach has been demonstrated notably through the EMOTIVE pathway, which achieved a 40–60% reduction in severe postpartum hemorrhage at early adoption sites.

The presentation also stressed that Nigeria’s next frontier lies in institutionalizing innovation pathways that enable smooth transitions “from pilot to policy to patient.” Proposed steps include deeper collaboration between researchers and regulators, stronger post-market surveillance systems, and development of unified frameworks for evaluating and registering new MNCH interventions. Stakeholders agreed that when policy, regulation, and practice move in harmony, lifesaving innovations can scale rapidly and sustainably, ultimately shaping an enabling environment that protects mothers and newborns across the country.

You can join the conversation on:

• Instagram:  @acephap_buk
• LinkedIn:    @acephap
• Facebook:  @acephap
• X/Twitter:    @acephap_buk