The Ekiti State Government has commissioned the Centre for Newborn Health Research and Innovation (CeNHRI), marking a new phase in efforts to strengthen maternal and newborn healthcare delivery through research-driven solutions.
The announcement was made by the Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Oyebanji Filani, who noted that the centre was first formally set in motion two months earlier with the inauguration of its Board of Trustees.
At the commissioning ceremony, Filani described CeNHRI as a strategic platform expected to generate high-impact evidence, drive innovation, and influence healthcare policy and clinical practice in Nigeria and beyond. He emphasized that advances in newborn care globally—such as Kangaroo Mother Care, neonatal resuscitation techniques, and antenatal corticosteroid use—were all products of rigorous scientific research that have significantly reduced neonatal mortality rates.
He further highlighted the importance of collaboration in achieving health outcomes, citing the enabling environment created by the Government of Ekiti State, Nigeria and the support of international partners, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, as critical to the centre’s establishment and sustainability.
The commissioner expressed optimism that CeNHRI would serve as a hub for answering critical research questions that shape the future of newborn health, stressing that improved outcomes depend not only on current clinical care but also on the knowledge generated through research.
The event was attended by several dignitaries, including representatives of the Gates Foundation, health sector leaders, and officials from Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Health led by Muhammad Ali Pate, alongside stakeholders and board members of CeNHRI. Participants also acknowledged contributions from development partners and health professionals involved in establishing the centre.
