In Oyo State, prenatal vitamins are changing how women experience pregnancy. In a recent Nigerian Tribune feature, mothers who had switched from the standard iron and folic acid tablet to multiple micronutrient supplementation (MMS) — a single daily prenatal vitamin containing 15 essential nutrients — told reporters they felt stronger, ate and slept better, and saw less nausea than in earlier pregnancies. Health workers pointed to another change: at some primary healthcare centers, monthly antenatal registrations more than doubled as word spread that the supplements were available.
The Tribune's reporting follows Evidence Action's MMS pilot, conducted in partnership with Nigeria's Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare. From February 2024 to September 2025, we worked with the Ministry across 90 health facilities in Oyo State and the Federal Capital Territory (Abuja) to test a comprehensive maternal anemia package: MMS distribution paired with stronger anemia screening and treatment. The goal was not simply to hand out vitamins, but to find delivery approaches that hold up inside the realities of Nigeria's health system. We supported facilities to provide MMS through routine antenatal care, and introduced point-of-care devices that let health workers test for anemia on the spot.
The Nigerian government has shown strong commitment to MMS, integrating it into national policy and building a roadmap for scale-up. Building on the momentum of our pilot, we are working alongside federal and state partners to bring MMS to more women across four areas: policy and advocacy; program management; supply chain management; and monitoring, learning, and evaluation.