In a move making headlines across the country, Nigerian authorities are celebrating what they call a “landmark achievement” in maternal health: over 4,000 pregnant women have reportedly received free caesarean sections under the National Health Insurance programme, all thanks to the much-hyped Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative (MAMII).

According to a press release from the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, these free surgeries were fully subsidised and dished out at select government-approved facilities. Officials wasted no time touting this as evidence of a government “push” to tackle maternal and newborn deaths,though the actual impact on the ground remains to be seen.

MAMII, the brainchild behind this campaign, is being sold as a comprehensive programme promising to slash maternal deaths by 30% and neonatal deaths by 20% in 172 “high-burden” local government areas. Authorities claim it focuses on buzzwords like governance, accountability, and performance management,though critics say the real issues run much deeper.

The latest government report is packed with impressive-sounding statistics: over 400,000 pregnant women “line-listed,” 4,000 caesareans performed free of charge, and a supposed surge in ambulance referrals. There’s talk of hundreds of thousands of antenatal care visits and revitalised health facilities,but little detail on the actual quality of care or patient experiences.

Officials further trumpet that more than 500 facilities have received “lifesaving commodities” and that transport systems are finally operational in 12 states. Early data, the ministry says, shows a “rise” in hospital attendance and skilled birth services. Still, the real-life impact on maternal and newborn deaths is harder to verify beyond these official numbers.

The government is eager to highlight “significant progress” in the 172 target LGAs: 435 facilities have been “revitalised,” 729,724 women booked early antenatal visits, and 794,205 completed four ANC appointments. However, the report still lists 21,172 stillbirths, 841 maternal deaths, and 1,245 neonatal deaths in the same period,a sobering reminder that Nigeria’s maternal health crisis is far from solved.

The so-called progress report points out that 52% of LGAs now have two Level-2 facilities, and 78% boast a Primary Health Centre in every ward. Officials claim a 17% reduction in maternal deaths and a 12% dip in newborn deaths, but how much of this is statistical spin versus real change?

Even as authorities roll out more glowing figures,thousands of referrals processed, hundreds of thousands of women supposedly monitored for follow-up,the underlying cracks in Nigeria’s health system are hard to ignore. Only 12% of primary facilities have two midwives, and less than half have access to key drugs to prevent postpartum haemorrhage. Emergency transport and digital tracking remain patchy at best.

Despite the self-congratulatory tone, the report concedes that “significant gaps threaten sustainability.” Among the glaring issues: too few health workers in communities, a shortage of functioning emergency obstetric centres, and persistent funding delays. The much-touted emergency response system is hampered by late driver payments and lacklustre digital support. Key surveillance and response measures for maternal and perinatal deaths are still weak or missing entirely.

Still, the official message is one of optimism. Experts are calling for more of the same,better community health systems, more BEmONC and CEmONC facilities, and institutionalising death surveillance to “sustain” these hard-won gains. But for the millions of Nigerian women still facing life-threatening pregnancies, the government’s feel-good statistics and rhetorical victories remain cold comfort amid a still-fragile health care reality.