In a major leap forward for Nigeria’s reproductive healthcare system, Ekiti State has launched a pioneering maternal health programme known as EMBRACE: Ekiti Maternal and Birth Response for Accessible Care and Equity. This transformative initiative, already gaining national and international acclaim, is the brainchild of Dr Samuel Oluwagbemiga Omotoso, Chief Medical Director of General Adeyinka Adebayo General Hospital, and Mrs Tolulope Funmilola Ojo, a maternal care specialist, demographer and sociologist.
This program, developed in response to alarming rates of maternal mortality and the persistent lack of equitable healthcare in underserved regions, functioned as both a clinical intervention and a sociological movement. It emerged from earlier work under Ekiti State’s maternal health reform efforts, which garnered public recognition in 2021 for its transformative impact on communities. Notably, Ojo’s white paper, presented in March 2022 alongside those of other distinguished experts in public health, sociology, medicine, data analytics, and finance, was selected as one of the key contributions that helped shape the initiative’s direction.
“We designed EMBRACE not as a conventional health project but as a structural response to social inequities in maternal care,” said Ojo. “We wanted a system that not only delivers services but is anchored in community ownership, local data, and human dignity.”
Strategic Coverage Across Ekiti
Operating across all 16 Local Government Areas, EMBRACE targets a population of over 3.2 million, with particular attention given to remote and high-risk rural communities. Through mobile outreach clinics, birth attendant training, infrastructure upgrades, and public education, the programme has directly impacted over 250,000 women of reproductive age in its inaugural year.
Dr Omotoso noted, “Maternal health is the pulse of a functional society. If we fail there, we fail everywhere. EMBRACE is proof that change is possible when medical leadership partners with social science.”
The Stories of Impact
The results have been both measurable and emotional. Mrs Ronke Ajayi, a mother of two from Irepodun/Ifelodun LGA, recalled: “Before now, I had to deliver my babies at home because the clinic was too far and under-equipped. But under EMBRACE, they brought a mobile clinic to our village. I delivered safely for the first time.”
A similar sentiment is reechoed by Mrs Aina Olabisi: “For the first time in my life, I was visited by a doctor and nurse in my own village,” This 34-year-old mother of three in Ikole LGA said “They helped me understand the importance of attending the health centre for delivery. Before EMBRACE, we relied only on traditional birth attendants. Now, I feel safe.”
In Aramoko-Ekiti, Mr Isaac Olaniyan, a middle aged father of two, praised the programme’s inclusivity. “They didn’t just care for pregnant women, they educated men too. Now I understand how to support my wife during pregnancy and childbirth.”
What the Experts are Saying
Speaking on the long-term impact, Dr Mahmoud Fathalla, a maternal health policy advisor at the World Health Organization (WHO) and father of the Safe Motherhood movement, remarked: “EMBRACE has set a powerful precedent for community-based maternal health. The combination of sociological insight with clinical expertise is what makes it uniquely scalable and sustainable.” In excitement, he further said: “What Ekiti State has achieved with EMBRACE is a remarkable blend of clinical care and sociocultural strategy. This initiative could, indeed, become a continental model.”
“EMBRACE has become an important part of how we approach maternal health in Ekiti,” said Adebayo Ogundipe,a Director of Public Health in the state. “It builds directly on what we’ve learned from communities and uses that to shape services that actually work on the ground. That’s why we’re seeing real results.”
The Nigerian Ministry of Health has described the programme as a “model of excellence in sub-national public health governance.” Dr Fatai Suleiman, Director of Reproductive Health at the Federal Ministry, praised its community-integrated design, stating, “This programme is replicable and we are exploring avenues to recommend its adoption in other states.”
Adoption by Other States
Many states like Adamawa, Osun, Ebonyi, Kaduna, Sokoto, Borno, Benue, Nasarawa and Niger, have already adopted and adapted the programme. While some others are committed to adapting the EMBRACE framework. Hajiya Ahmed, Commissioner for Health in Kaduna State, confirmed: “We are adopting the EMBRACE model for Kaduna. The data-driven framework and focus on rural equity align with our goals. This could be a game-changer in the North. It’s the most coherent model for addressing rural maternal health we’ve seen in years. I would also strongly recommend it for other northern states.”
In Borno State, Ibrahim Modibbo, a senior reproductive health adviser, expressed similar interest while addressing the press. “EMBRACE offers what we’ve been missing. It’s a participatory, evidence-based system. We’re impressed by the results from Ekiti. I am proposing to our state cabinet that we adopt the EMBRACE model. This is the future of maternal care in underserved regions.”
A Programme with a Future
Dr Omotoso and Ojo, backed by a task force of healthcare workers, sociologists, and local leaders, developed EMBRACE following Ojo’s white paper delivered earlier in the year before government officials who adopted the initiative for the entire state. According to Ojo, “Our approach blends scientific research with local context. We don’t just want to focus on providing care; our goal is to empower communities to demand and sustain it.”
Dr Omotoso added, “We are training midwives, upgrading facilities, and using mobile health teams to reach isolated populations. Our goal is a maternal mortality rate below 50 per 100,000—well ahead of national targets.”
Supported by development partners including UNFPA, UNICEF, and USAID, EMBRACE is also slated for inclusion in global maternal health case study repositories.
Ojo explained the vision moving forward: “This is more than a campaign. We are building a system. Our goal is for EMBRACE to outlive us and to become fully institutionalised and community-driven. We are happy with the outcome so far and we hope to achieve much more.”
Dr Omotoso concurred: “Health equity is no longer a dream. With EMBRACE, we are making it a lived reality.” We believe that with structured monitoring, strong government backing, and community trust, Ekiti’s EMBRACE programme would continue to be a blueprint for lasting impact in maternal healthcare. It evidences the capacity of Nigerian states to deliver world-class public health solutions rooted in local leadership and global standards. We just have to start somewhere”.
Ekiti State’s EMBRACE Initiative stands today not merely as a government programme, but as a beacon of innovation, a proof that Nigerian states can drive lasting public health transformation by blending science, compassion, and local knowledge.
