Strengthening Partnerships to Improve Maternal and Child Nutrition in Nigeria
By Dr. Francis Ohanyido, Country Director for Vitamin Angels in Nigeria
My team recently had the honor of hosting Dr. Ana Céspedes, CEO of Vitamin Angels, in Nigeria to meet with key stakeholders, including government officials, healthcare providers, implementing partners, program participants, and philanthropic organizations. Through her visit, we aimed to deepen collaboration and underscore Vitamin Angels’ dedication to improving nutrition and health outcomes for women and children across the country.
“Everywhere I traveled in Nigeria, I saw that local leadership is the engine of sustainable change. Everyone from community members to government leaders are deeply committed to improving maternal and child health and nutrition,” said Dr. Céspedes about her experience in Nigeria. “Our partnerships are rooted in trust and humility and serve as the bridge between a vision for progress and lasting impact for women and children.
”Dr. Céspedes was accompanied by Vitamin Angels’ Dr. Lucy Kanya, Senior Regional Technical Director for Africa Programs; Molly Russ, Africa Program Advisor; Cassandre Bechoua, Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist.
Dr. Suleiman Saidu Bashir (in blue), the Executive Chairman of the State Primary Healthcare Development Agency for Adamawa State, and health workers speak to mothers and pregnant women about the importance of MMS.
Highlights of the visit included:
- A tour of Our Lady of Apostolic Catholic Hospital, a facility run by the Christian Health Association (CHAN) that provides care to more than 500 women each year, as well as vitamin A supplementation to young children, with support from Vitamin Angels. We observed the delivery of maternal and child health services and met with health workers and mothers, who shared their personal experiences of how access to nutrition interventions is helping to support healthier pregnancies and improved birth outcomes.
Women at the Lami Fintiri Primary Health Care Facility raise their hands to indicate that they took MMS during their pregnancies.
- A visit to a warehouse in Lagos, where our delegation met with logistics partners, including CHAN Medi-Pharm, Fastwind, and Selimart Global, to highlight the critical importance of reliable, robust supply chains to ensure availability and access to essential nutrition supplies.
- A meeting with the Dangote Foundation, where we discussed opportunities to engage with Nigerian philanthropies to advance maternal and child nutrition solutions and the importance of local ownership of health systems. Summarizing a major theme of the conversation, Dr. Francis Aminu, the Foundation’s Director of Health and Nutrition, said: “Collaboration is the new innovation.”
- A visit to Adamawa State along with our partners and colleagues from Helen Keller Intl, where we were warmly welcomed by government officials and healthcare leaders. At the Adamawa State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Suleiman Saidu Bashir discussed our longtime partnership and showcased their government’s strategic data center. We also met with the Adamawa State Contributory Health Management Agency and toured the busy Lami Fintiri Primary Health Care Facility, where community-based health services are providing critical nutrition and health support to women and children.
The Vitamin Angels team and partners outside of the Adamawa State Primary Health Care Development Agency.
- A special moment between Dr. Céspedes and Her Excellency Hajiya Lami Ahmadu Fintiri, the First Lady of Adamawa State, and Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, where both government leaders expressed their continued commitment to prioritizing and improving maternal and child health.
- Meetings with Vitamin Angels’ key partners in Abuja, including UNICEF Nigeria and the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare. We also visited Helen Keller Intl’s office in Nigeria to discuss and identify ways to enhance the work of Transforming Lives Through Nutrition – a consortium with Vitamin Angels, Helen Keller Intl, and iDE, supported by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
During this visit, Dr. Céspedes and the Vitamin Angels team further strengthened our shared commitment to collaboration, innovation, and impact-driven solutions. Together with our partners across government, healthcare, and community organizations, we are delivering meaningful impact and sustainable solutions to improve maternal and child health outcomes now and for generations to come.
I am grateful for my colleagues in Nigeria for providing invaluable support and sharing their insights into our local healthcare landscape with the visiting team. Thank you to: Abiola Akanni, Program Operations Manager; Christian Ugbo, Pharmaceutical Logistic Specialist; Dr. Gloria Ode, Implementation Science Specialist; Dr. Adedoyin Adesina, Learning Solutions Manager; and Olayinka Orefunwa, Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist.
Across Nigeria, progress is being made to improve health outcomes for women and children. MMS has been added to all key national health guidelines, and there is growing interest in facilitating local manufacturing of MMS to ensure sustainability and improved access. Vitamin Angels works in 10 of Nigeria’s 36 states, and proudly supports partners in their efforts to advance equitable access to improved nutrition and health services.