Grand Challenges Nigeria Awards Grants for 10 Transformative Health Innovations

By Ferdinand Ekechukwu

Grand Challenges Nigeria (GCNg) has selected 10 innovation projects for seed grant funding under its inaugural Request for Proposals (RFP) themed “Advancing Innovative Solutions for Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health.”

Following its official launch last November and the announcement of the RFP, hundreds of entries were received and reviewed through a rigorous, merit-based process to select the qualifying projects.

As contained in a press release, each selected project addresses pressing health challenges affecting mothers and children and represents a bold, scalable solution anchored in local context and led by Nigerian institutions and innovators with potential for scale and adoption beyond Nigeria.

“The selected projects demonstrate the power of Nigerian-led innovation to solve our most pressing public health challenges. From AI-driven diagnostics to community-embedded digital tools and locally sourced medical formulations, these initiatives reflect the ingenuity and impact orientation of our local innovation ecosystem,” said Prof. Folake Samuel, program director and technical lead, Grand Challenges Nigeria.

GCNg is a national platform within the global Grand Challenges family that convenes government, industry, funders, nonprofits, innovators, and local communities to identify Nigeria’s most urgent health and food security challenges and direct innovation resources toward scalable, high-impact solutions. Anchored by the Nutrition Society of Nigeria (NSN).

GCNg fosters inclusive, cross-sector collaboration to define priorities, fund promising ideas, and support their growth beyond pilots to achieve national impact.

It also mobilises critical resources such as funding, technology, and expertise to ensure that locally grounded innovations translate into systems-level change.

“Africa’s health future lies in the hands of African innovators. Through Grand Challenges Nigeria, we are enabling researchers to lead transformative solutions rooted in context and evidence. By funding these 10 innovators, we’re not just supporting projects; we’re investing in a generation of scientists who will define the continent’s health priorities and lead lasting change.

“Grand Challenges Africa, a program of the Science of Africa Foundation, provides technical support to African governments so they can join the Global Grand Challenges Network in seeking and seeding innovations,” added Dr Evelyn Gitau, the chief scientific officer, Science for Africa Foundation.

GC Africa was thrilled to support the birth of Grand Challenges Nigeria and the selection of these innovators,” she added.

Each of the 10 grantees will receive up to 60 million Naira for a 12 to 15-month implementation period, with access to technical support, visibility, and a collaborative learning platform coordinated by GCNg.

These projects are expected to generate evidence of effectiveness and viable models for integration into Nigeria’s health and development systems.

“This is a proud moment for Nigerian science and innovation,” stated Professor Salisu Abubakar, President of the Nutrition Society of Nigeria. “We are unlocking pathways to reduce maternal and child mortality, promote data-driven decision-making, and build sustainable solutions tailored for Nigerian communities. Grand Challenges Nigeria grantees will also join the Global Grand Challenges network of grantees in learning and strengthening a community of innovators working together to solve local, regional and global challenges.”

“The Ministry is proud to co-anchor this groundbreaking initiative. Grand Challenges Nigeria represents a bold commitment to science, technology, and innovation as a driver of national development.

These selected projects reflect the kind of local ingenuity and applied research that we need to transform our health and food systems and deliver impact at scale,” said Adebayo A. Adeyemi, Director, Health and Bio-medical Sciences Department, Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology.
These innovations are expected to contribute directly to Nigeria’s commitments under the Sustainable Development Goals and the Renewed Hope Agenda for health equity and maternal and child survival.

“When we back bold ideas with belief and resources, we awaken the genius of our nation. These innovations are seeds of a healthier Nigeria – locally grown, scientifically grounded, and globally relevant. This is what it means to trust our own and build from the inside out, because Nigeria’s greatest breakthroughs will not come from abroad; they will rise from within,” said Mrs. Uju Rochas-Anwukah, senior special assistant to the President on Public Health.

Grand Challenges Nigeria is part of the global network of Grand Challenges supported by funders such as the Gates Foundation and coordinated to foster local innovations for global good. It is co-chaired by the Office of the Vice President, the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, and the Nutrition Society of Nigeria, and is guided by a multisectoral Advisory Board of partners including the Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute, the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Aliko Dangote Foundation, Dalberg Advisors, and FHI 360.