NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Nigeria’s healthcare space is set to witness a landmark investment as the Private Sector Health Alliance of Nigeria, a public-private coalition aimed at mobilising Nigeria ‘s private sector to improve health outcomes, unveils a $1 million Health Innovation Challenge (HIC).

This initiative, which is the first of its kind in Africa, is geared towards enabling Nigeria accelerate progress in achieving health MDGs, a situation that African countries such as Malawi have achieved in their health related MDGs of improving infant and maternal health by 2015.

The HIC, which will be launched on December 5th, 2014 by leading private sector business leaders in Nigeria, including Herbert Wigwe (CEO, Access Bank and chair of the innovation challenge), Aliko Dangote and Jim Ovia , is aimed at identifying and supporting promising innovative models to improve healthcare service delivery in Nigeria’s complex and dynamic healthcare system.

Supported innovations include new technologies, unlocking markets and process innovations targeted at addressing evidence-based healthcare challenges that respond to various geopolitical and socio-cultural peculiarities in Nigeria.

Herbert Wigwe, CEO Access Bank and Chair of PHN’s Health Innovation Steering committee, disclosed that the Health Innovation Challenge, will inspire a wave of private sector-driven innovation to enable Nigeria achieve its Saving One Million Lives target.