The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has delivered three million bottles of Multiple Micronutrient Supplements (MMS) in 2024 through the Child Nutrition Fund (CNF) to improve maternal health in Nigeria. An additional three million bottles are expected in 2025 to further combat maternal malnutrition and enhance pregnancy outcomes.
Despite these efforts, UNICEF highlighted Nigeria’s high maternal mortality rate—1,047 deaths per 100,000 live births—and the approximately 12 million pregnancies recorded annually, underscoring the need for greater investment in maternal nutrition. Many newborns in the country are also born prematurely or with low birth weight, increasing their risk of complications or death.
Findings from the 2024 National Food Consumption and Micronutrient Survey revealed widespread deficiencies in iron, zinc, Vitamin A, and folate among pregnant women—nutrients essential for a healthy pregnancy and child development. UNICEF stressed that addressing these deficiencies through MMS supplementation is critical to reducing maternal mortality and improving neonatal health outcomes.
The three million MMS bottles delivered in 2024 were donated by the Kirk Humanitarian Foundation and distributed during the second round of the Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health Week (MNCHW). Another three million bottles, also donated by Kirk Humanitarian, will be distributed in 2025 to expand coverage.
However, with only a small percentage of Nigeria’s pregnant women receiving MMS, UNICEF and its partners are calling for increased government investment. The CNF’s 1:1 match fund mechanism provides an opportunity for federal and state governments to co-finance MMS procurement and expand access nationwide.
