OAU lecturer wins $5m Gates Foundation grant to tackle maternal deaths in Nigeria

An Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, researcher, Prof. Ibraheem Awowole, has secured a $5 million grant from the Gates Foundation to lead a three-year project aimed at reducing maternal deaths in Nigeria.

The project, known as Pregnancy Risk Stratification Innovations in Maternal Health (PRIME), will be implemented by OAU in collaboration with Jhpiego, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, and the Ministries of Health in seven states – Lagos, Ogun, Ekiti, Kano, Kaduna, Gombe, and Jigawa.

According to the university, the initiative seeks to reduce maternal deaths in Nigeria by 60 per cent, addressing a major public health challenge in a country that accounts for about one-quarter of global maternal deaths.

Reacting to the award, OAU Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Simeon Bamire, described the grant as a demonstration of the impact of research focused on solving national challenges.

“This grant shows what happens when a researcher takes a national problem and decides to lead. OAU is proud that this work from Ile-Ife will shape how women are cared for in these seven states, and eventually the country as a whole,” Bamire was quoted as saying in a statement on Friday, October 9, 2026.

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The Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research, Innovation and Development), Prof. Akanni Akinyemi, said OAU remained committed to supporting research capable of improving lives.

“Our job is to back researchers who can translate evidence into tangible results that reach people and transform lives,” Akinyemi said.

Also speaking, the Provost of the College of Health Sciences, Prof. Bernice Adegbehingbe, said the project would strengthen early detection of pregnancy complications, particularly pre-eclampsia.

“Most women who die from pre-eclampsia could have been saved if screening had been carried out early to detect the risk. A project like PRIME puts simple, proven tools in the hands of the health workers who see these women first. We are grateful to the Gates Foundation, and we will deliver,” Adegbehingbe said.

The university congratulated Professor Awowole and his team, reaffirming its commitment to supporting the successful implementation of the project.