Goodwill Message

Your Excellency, Senator Kashim Shettima, Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria & Honourable Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Chief Uche G. Nnaji, 

Your Excellencies, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, 

It is with profound honour that I join you today for the official launch of Grand Challenges Nigeria. This landmark event marks a pivotal moment for our nation as we take bold steps to transform challenges into opportunities through the power of innovation, collaboration, and determination. 

First, allow me to express my gratitude to the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science, and Technology and the Nutrition Society of Nigeria for spearheading this visionary initiative, which is poised to significantly enhance Nigeria’s health, food systems, and sustainable development outcomes. The commitment of the Ministry and Renewed Hope Agenda to fostering impactful solutions demonstrates that Nigeria is ready to lead by example in the global community of Grand Challenges initiatives. 

Grand Challenges Nigeria joins a global family of initiatives addressing critical issues worldwide, aligned with our shared vision for a healthier, equitable, and prosperous Nigeria, committed to impact, delivering measurable outcomes; inclusivity, reflecting diverse community needs; and integrity, ensuring transparency and accountability in all actions.

The statistics remind us of the urgency of our mission. Ranked 109 out of 125 countries on the 2023 Global Hunger Index, with 43% of our population still unable to access basic healthcare, and with millions at risk from climate-induced migration, the stakes could not be higher. Yet, as Nigerians, we are no strangers to resilience and resourcefulness. Grand Challenges Nigeria embodies our capacity to innovate locally while tackling global issues. By focusing on areas like maternal and newborn health, digital health solutions, climate-smart agriculture, and food systems, this initiative represents the hope we all share for creating long-term, scalable impact. 

Innovation thrives when it is nurtured in the soil of local context. I am especially inspired by Grand Challenges Nigeria’s prioritisation of homegrown research and development, where local researchers, practitioners, and innovators are empowered to design solutions that resonate with the unique needs of our communities. 

At The Wellbeing Foundation Africa, we have witnessed firsthand how locally contextualised approaches can yield transformative results. WBFA has long aligned with the global mission of Grand Challenges and welcomes the launch of Grand Challenges Nigeria, as through our commitment to advancing maternal and child health, the WBFA has reached over 300,000 pregnant women, newborns, and children with frontline health, hygiene, and nutrition programs, combining in-person and digital social health and economic education initiatives. By prioritising Civil Registration and Vital Statistics and enhanced health data through comprehensive health records, we ensure that impact is accurately measured and used to guide transformative solutions.

Our maternal and child health programmes have also long utilised digital tools and telemedicine to bridge gaps in healthcare delivery in rural and underserved communities. These are the sorts of efforts that align with Grand Challenges Nigeria’s mission, and we stand ready to collaborate and amplify this work for the benefit of even more Nigerians. 

One of the greatest strengths of Grand Challenges Nigeria is its commitment to strategic partnerships. By bringing together government agencies, academic institutions, the private sector, and civil society, this initiative ensures that solutions are inclusive, sustainable, and widely supported, harnessing collective expertise and resources to overcome even the most complex development challenges. 

As we celebrate this launch, let us also recognise that the real work begins now. Grand Challenges Nigeria is not just about funding ideas, it is about delivering measurable impact through frontline programming, and ensuring that every innovation supported through this platform transforms lives, uplifts communities, and sets a benchmark for others to follow. 

On behalf of the Wellbeing Foundation Africa, I pledge our unwavering support to Grand Challenges Nigeria, to tackle the challenges of today and lay the foundation for a healthier Nigeria tomorrow. May this launch mark the beginning of a transformative journey, where innovation, integrity, and impact come together to drive sustainable progress for all Nigerians.  

Thank you. 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Toyin Saraki (@toyinsaraki)