NGF, GCNg to Host Health Innovation Exchange in Abuja
* Eight maternal, newborn and child health projects to feature as stakeholders examine pathways to adoption and scale
The Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) and Grand Challenges Nigeria (GCNg) are set to convene the 2026 Annual Meeting and Innovation Exchange on Friday, November 13, in Abuja, to explore ways of translating Nigerian-led health research and innovations into practical solutions for improving healthcare delivery.
The meeting, scheduled to hold at Lake Greenfield Hotel, will bring together state governments, research teams, government institutions, development partners and financing stakeholders to examine how evidence-based health innovations can be adopted, funded and scaled across the country.
With the theme, ‘Innovation to Impact: Evidence, Adoption, Uptake and Scale for Better Health in Nigeria,’ the exchange is expected to focus on the institutional capacity, policy decisions and sustainable financing required to assess how promising innovations can progress from research towards practical use.
Eight projects supported by Grand Challenges Nigeria, focusing on maternal, newborn and child health, will feature prominently at the meeting.
The projects address critical healthcare challenges, including newborn sepsis diagnosis, umbilical cord care, community-supported digital healthcare, emergency maternal referrals, birth-defect identification, perinatal asphyxia research, digital risk support and the prediction of severe pre-eclampsia.
According to the organisers, the programme will combine research evidence and practical implementation experiences with policy discussions on adoption, replication across states, financing and the evidence and conditions required for adoption and scale.
The NGF’s involvement is expected to bring state-level implementation priorities and opportunities for peer learning into the discussions, particularly as state governments remain critical to the delivery of healthcare services.
The African University of Science and Technology will also contribute a Policy Lab focusing on the institutional decisions required to translate research into practice.
Grand Challenges Nigeria was launched in November 2024 as a national platform supporting locally led research and innovation in health and food security.
Anchored by the Nutrition Society of Nigeria, the initiative operates in partnership with the Office of the Vice-President and the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology.
It is supported by the Gates Foundation, with technical assistance from the Science for Africa Foundation, and forms part of the wider Grand Challenges family of initiatives.
The organisers said the November 13 meeting would help identify the additional evidence, institutional engagement and financing required to assess promising innovations for their next stage of development.
Participation in the exchange and inclusion in the showcase do not constitute a decision to fund or adopt an innovation. Research findings should be interpreted within their stated limitations.
Attendance at the meeting will be by invitation. Media organisations seeking interviews or coverage arrangements are invited to contact the Grand Challenges Nigeria secretariat in advance.