Despite Nigeria’s success in polio eradication, gaps remain in routine immunization, zero-dose identification, and Primary Health Care (PHC) strengthening, especially with declining donor funding. Without sustained leadership and collaboration, hard-won gains could be reversed. On February 7, 2025, the SCIDaR team, led by our CEO, Dr. Uchenna Igbokwe paid an advocacy visit to the World Health Organization (WHO) Country Representative, Dr. Walter Kazadi Mulombo, and his team at the UN House, Abuja to explore ways to sustain progress in polio eradication, bolster routine immunization, and improve primary healthcare access. The discussions reinforced the need for a unified approach; one plan, one budget, and one report, aligned with national priorities. There was also a strong push for deeper collaboration on key programs like Polio Outbreak Response (POBR), Routine Immunization (RI) Zero Dose, SPARK, and SARMAAN, as well as capability mapping to prevent duplication of efforts and to expand partnerships beyond polio, particularly in the Lake Chad Basin. Stronger partnerships mean more children immunized, more resilient health systems, and a future where preventable diseases no longer threaten lives. The work continues, because sustainability is the real success. #SCIDaRImpact #PolioEradication #RoutineImmunization #StrongerHealthSystems #HealthSustainability

Contraceptive choice is more than having options; it is having access to those options when and where women need them. This World Contraception Day, we highlight the work of the AIMS Project (Advancing Injectable Markets for Sustainability) to strengthen sustainable access to DMPA-SC and self-injection across seven low- and middle-income countries in Africa. Through AIMS, SCIDaR supports countries to strengthen the systems that make contraceptive choice possible, from enabling policies and guidelines, to health-worker training, data systems, market development, and evidence generation. Because sustainable access requires strong systems, supportive policies, capable health workers, reliable markets, and evidence that informs action. On #WorldContraceptionDay2026, we continue working toward a future where women and girls can make informed choices about contraception and have access to the methods that meet their needs. More choice. Better access. Sustainable solutions. #WorldContraceptionDay #WCD2026 #AIMS #SCIDaR #FamilyPlanning @PATHtweets

As the work of #UNGA81 High-Level Week continues in New York, the @WellbeingAfrica Foundation was glad to be present at the @Devex Impact House for Everyday Impact: Scaling Postpartum Haemorrhage Prevention and Treatment Innovations, convened in partnership with MSD for Mothers. Postpartum haemorrhage remains among the foremost causes of maternal death across the world, and it remains a cause that we have long known how to prevent and to treat, which is what makes each loss so difficult to accept. Moderated by Ms Rumbi Chakamba of Devex, the discussion brought together Dr Tomi Coker of the Ogun State Ministry of Health @ogsghealth, Dr Uchenna Igbokwe of the Solina Centre for International Development and Research @SCIDaR_, Dr Bashir Issak of the Ministry of Health of Kenya, and colleagues from @Jhpiego and LifeNet International, on what is required to carry proven innovation out of the pilot and into the routine practice of a health system, where it belongs. This is the work at the core of #WBFA's mission, through the training of midwives, nurses, and frontline health workers, and through the antenatal and postnatal education that our midwives deliver to mothers in their thousands across Nigeria under #MamaCare360. Where the science has been settled for some time, it is the delivery that must now command our attention, so that care for women, children and adolescents is within reach across the life course, and I invite our partners across government, industry and philanthropy to hold that ambition alongside us. #UNGA81 #MaternalHealth #PostpartumHaemorrhage #WellbeingForAll

This #WorldContraceptionDay, we’re expanding contraceptive choice by developing new products, introducing proven options, and supporting access to #contraception that meets the needs of women and adolescent girls worldwide. 📸Learn more below #WCD2026 @SCIDaR_ | @ARC4SC

What if the idea, story or solution you’ve been sitting on could help challenge a harmful social or gender norm? The Social Norms Innovation & Creative Challenge is calling on young people aged 18–40 across Africa to turn bold ideas into action through two tracks: The Norms Hub: develop practical solutions and technologies for social change. The Norms Studio: create original artistic works that spark conversation and inspire action. The 1st place winner in each category receives ₦250,000, alongside free conference tickets, a feature in the conference brochure and opportunities to amplify or take their work further. If you are building, designing, creating or imagining a different way forward, this is your chance to put it out into the world. Deadline: 11 October 2026 Submit here: snalc.scidar.org/creative-ch… #SNConference2026 #SocialNorms #InnovationChallenge #CreativeChallenge #YouthInnovation #SocialChange #GenderNorms #Africa

Strengthening institutions is an important part of how SCIDaR approaches complex development challenges, and we are pleased to extend that work through our partnership with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP). Last week, we formalised this partnership through an MoU focused on strengthening NAPTIP’s institutional capacity and systems for preventing and responding to human trafficking, forced labour and gender-based violence. Under this partnership, SCIDaR will provide technical assistance to the DG’s Office across priority areas, including capacity building as well as exploring relevant funding opportunities. What we particularly welcome is the opportunity to continue broadening where we apply our capabilities. In this case, that means supporting Gender-Based Violence (GBV) prevention systems, case management, survivor support, Social Behavioural Change (SBC) campaigns, and use of evidence within an institution with an important national mandate. We appreciate the leadership and teams at NAPTIP and SCIDaR who have brought this partnership to this point. The focus now is on collaboration, implementation, and the impactful results the partnership can deliver. #HumanTrafficking #GenderBasedViolence #InstitutionalStrengthening #SCIDaR

Equal pay goes beyond numbers on a payslip. It is about fairness, dignity, equal opportunity and recognising the value of work. Through SCIDaR's experience working in the gender space, we understand that creating equitable workplaces also means addressing the barriers that affect women’s opportunities, participation and progression. Our compensation structures are based on role, cadre, and responsibilities. Closing pay gaps requires action across every sector. Employers, policymakers, institutions and individuals all have a role to play in identifying the gaps that exist and addressing the systems and practices that allow them to persist, because equal pay is everyone’s responsibility. SCIDaR stands with everyone working towards fairer workplaces and greater equality in pay and opportunity. #InternationalEqualPayDay #EqualPay #GenderEquality #WorkplaceEquality #SCIDaRImpact

The Malaria Sub-National Tailoring (SNT) Community Poll is a vital initiative fueling the fight against malaria in Kaduna and Kano States, Nigeria. After three successful rounds of data collection, the Community Poll is moving forward into its fourth phase, this time harnessing Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) to reach even more voices. To prepare for this round, analysts participated in intensive training covering the programme context, survey objectives, questionnaire, interviewing protocols, and practical role-play sessions. The hands-on approach provided an opportunity for analysts to practise administering the tool and strengthen their understanding of the data collection process. The fourth round will generate community-level insights on: • Knowledge and awareness of malaria • Access to malaria treatment and services • Health-seeking behaviours • Barriers to accessing and completing malaria treatment • Community perceptions and beliefs around malaria treatment By actively listening to communities and turning their voices into actionable insights, the Community Poll helps reveal the real-life factors that influence malaria prevention, treatment, and health-seeking choices. Community-driven evidence can guide smarter strategies and strengthen the push toward malaria elimination across Nigeria.

At the 2024 Social Norms Conference, Dorothy Njemanze explored how collaboration across sectors can strengthen efforts to address gender-based violence and advance meaningful change. 📷 Register now: snalc.scidar.org/2026-sn-con… #SNConference2026 #SocialNorms #SNALC #AWALC

What happens to the patient when the pilot funding ends? That's the question behind scaling African healthtech: a promising service needs a sustainable way to keep reaching the people who depend on it. The i3 Program (@i3africa), backed by @gatesfoundation, MSD, @sanofi and @Boehringer, connects African healthtech startups to industry through commercial partnerships, like an MSD-backed cervical cancer pharmacy deal and a malaria diagnostics partnership with Nigeria's malaria programme. At #AHTSat5, i3 brings this to "Building the Sustainable Healthtech Partnerships African Patients Need." 🎙️ Moderated by Prashant Yadav, Senior Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations Panel: · Joseph Paul, MD - CEO, @DawaMkononi · Ruth Zaipuna - CEO, @NMBTanzania · Ashifi Gogo - Co-Founder, AISHA Technologies With @SalientAdvisory's Tosin Oshinubi, Somto Chloe Keluo-Udeke & Mara Hansen Staples (@marakatherine1), and Uchenna Igbokwe, CEO of @SCIDaR_. Lead a healthtech venture, invest in healthcare, or can open a commercial pathway? Join us, bring a partnership ready to move. 3:15–4:15 PM | Room AD12 📍 Kigali Register: healthtechsummit.africa #AHTSat5 #HealthTech #WellnessForAll

For Dr Raihanah Ibrahim of @SCIDaR_, the additional financing could strengthen community-level care by supporting more community health workers to reach pregnant women early, conduct home visits, identify danger signs and link them to PHCs and referral centres. For women like Amina, this means identifying risks earlier rather than waiting until they become emergencies.

Health workers, we want to hear from you in the comments! What’s one patient safety practice you never overlook? #WorldPatientSafetyDay #PatientSafety #SafeCareForLife #NCDs #SCIDaRImpact

Safe care for life requires all hands on deck. For people living with noncommunicable diseases, safe care depends on what happens at every stage of the journey, from prevention and diagnosis to treatment, follow-up and long-term management. Health workers have a responsibility to provide safe, respectful and coordinated care. Policymakers and governments have a role to play in developing policies, strengthening health systems and ensuring health workers have the training, tools and working conditions they need. Advocates and communities also have a part to play in keeping patient safety on the agenda and ensuring that people are informed and involved in decisions about their care. No single group can do this alone. Patient safety is a shared responsibility, and every stakeholder has a role to play in making care safer. This World Patient Safety Day, we join the call for safe care for noncommunicable diseases and stronger action across the health system. #WorldPatientSafetyDay #PatientSafety #SafeCareForLife #NCDs #SCIDaRImpact

SCIDaR and the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen support for licensed Patent and Proprietary Medicine Vendors (PPMVs). The partnership will aid the implementation of the Digital Finance Hub, a one-stop digital platform designed to connect licensed Patient and Proprietary Medicine Vendors (PPMVs) with financial institutions, regulators, commodity suppliers and business-development service providers. It also creates an opportunity to reduce some of the geographic and administrative barriers that can make it difficult for providers to access these services. For many Nigerians, PPMVs are often the first point of contact for healthcare. Yet, the businesses providing this essential access can face barriers that make it difficult to grow and operate sustainably. Limited access to suitable finance, challenges with regulatory compliance, and fragmented business support can leave providers without the connections and resources they need to strengthen their businesses. As this partnership moves from agreement to implementation, the goal remains to help more providers become compliant, connected, bankable and better equipped to serve their communities. SCIDaR looks forward to working with the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) to turn this collaboration into meaningful support for frontline health businesses and strengthen primary healthcare delivery across Nigeria. #DigitalHealth #PPMVs #PrimaryHealthcare #PCN #SCIDaRImpact

Mothers in hard-to-reach communities should not have to travel long distances to access essential nutrition services. In Gombe State, Nigeria, a community-based mobile nutrition programme was implemented to bring care closer to pregnant women and families with young children. Following the programme, researchers conducted a qualitative study to understand the experiences of both the people delivering and accessing these services. They interviewed pregnant women, mothers of children under five, health workers, traditional and religious leaders, nutrition officers, and the programme implementers. Participants reported that the mobile services made nutrition care more accessible by reducing the need to travel long distances. They also perceived improvements in maternal and child health, including improved child growth associated with micronutrient supplementation. However, infrequent visits, poor road conditions, and cultural and language barriers affected service delivery. The findings highlight the value of taking nutrition services closer to communities, while showing the need for regular visits and services that respond to local realities. We’re pleased to recognise Abdullateef Salisu, Demilade Osoteku, NPHCDA, Dr. Uchenna Igbokwe, and our research experts at SCIDaR – Precious Uahomo, Hauwa Inuwa, Linus Muzong, Olaniyi Mohammed, Iliyasu Datti Gwarzo, Precious Otono, Tobiloba Adaramati, Karatu L. David, Mohammed J. Usman, Ernest Ezeogu, David Otoosakyi, Haishat Olufadi-Ahmed, Valentine Amasiatu, and Eric Aigbogun Jr. – whose contributions helped strengthen the evidence on community-based health and nutrition programming in Nigeria. #Nutrition #MaternalAndChildHealth #Research #CommunityHealth #SCIDaRImpact

Something BIG is waiting for you at the 2026 Social Norms Conference. ARE YOU READY!? The 2026 Social Norms Conference brings together professionals, practitioners, researchers, and changemakers to explore how shifting development landscapes are influencing the norms that shape our lives, communities, and futures. From power, resources, and possibility to youth voices, ventures, and votes; stories, screens, systems, and AI; land, food, and human security; and lives, learning, and wellbeing, the conference will create space for meaningful conversations on the issues shaping people and place across West Africa. And there’s more to experience, from World Cafés and an Art Exhibition to a Pantomime performance, live Hackathon, and more. 📅 October 29–30, 2026 📍 Abuja Continental Hotel, Abuja We look forward to welcoming you to the 2026 Social Norms Conference. 👉 Register now: snalc.scidar.org/2026-sn-con… #SNConference2026 #SocialNorms #SNALC #AWALC #NormsInShiftingLandscapes #SocialNormsConference

“Systems don’t change because of good ideas. They change because people consistently implement those ideas.” In this episode of the One Thing Series, Ebenezer Ugwu, Associate at SCIDaR, reflects on an experience that taught him an important lesson about implementation. After developing a strategy and workplan, one important question made him realise that having a plan is only the beginning. For real implementation to happen, all stakeholders need to be aligned and ready to turn that plan into action. His takeaway? Good ideas matter, but their impact ultimately depends on how well we execute them. Listen to his full story. More weekly reflections from the SCIDaR team are coming your way this season on the One Thing Series. #OTS #OneThingSeries #scidar #scidarimpact

What if polio platforms could help tackle malnutrition too? In high-risk communities, the challenges affecting children’s health often go beyond vaccination. Malnutrition, limited access to essential services, insecurity, and caregiver fatigue can all shape how families engage with the health system. Zamfara State Government, in collaboration with partners including SCIDaR, explored how an existing polio platform could be adapted to respond to malnutrition. Through a Polio-Nutrition pilot across three LGAs, existing polio In-Between Rounds Activities (IBRA) structures were used to screen children for malnutrition, support caregivers with locally produced Tom Brown, and link vulnerable children to routine immunisation and primary healthcare services. The pilot reached 2,902 malnourished children, including 2,335 with moderate acute malnutrition and 567 with severe acute malnutrition. The experience showed how existing community health platforms can be adapted to address multiple health needs; helping identify vulnerable children early, support caregivers, build community trust, and strengthen connections to care. As discussions move towards phased scale-up, ongoing engagement among government, partners and traditional stakeholders is helping build the ownership, funding commitment and local support needed to move the model towards sustainable child health delivery. Read the full story here: scidar.org/beyond-vaccines-h… #SCIDaR #Nutrition #Polio #ChildHealth #PublicHealth #HealthSystems #Zamfara

When you’re building solutions to real-world problems, your workspace should make sense too. 👀 Some things just make sense at SCIDaR. 😂 Here’s a little glimpse of what that looks like around here! #SCIDaRImpact #ThingsThatMakeSense #HumansOfSCIDaR #LifeAtSCIDaR

Work hard. Live fully. At SCIDaR, we’re committed to doing work that matters. However, we also believe there’s more to life than work. From pursuing the things we love to making time for family, friends, rest, and the moments that keep us grounded, work-life balance means creating space for both purpose and life outside the office. Because great work matters, but so does living a full life. #SCIDaR #WorkLifeBalance #LifeAtSCIDaR #HumansOfSCIDaR

Still wondering what the Social Norms Conference is really like? Hear it from people who were at the 2024 Edition. As the 2026 Social Norms Conference approaches, we invite you to join us in advancing social norms programming and shaping development outcomes across West Africa. 📅 29–30 October 2026 📍 Abuja Continental Hotel, Abuja Register now: snalc.scidar.org/2026-sn-con…