Nigeria Seeks to Put Africa at the Center of Women's Health Conversations

Originally reported by Devex, 04 June 2026.

Nigeria is seeking to position itself at the center of global conversations on women's health and has announced it is convening the Women's Health Africa Summit in Abuja this December, in partnership with Devex.

The announcement came at Devex Impact House @ WHA on the sidelines of the 79th World Health Assembly, where Adanna Steinacker, senior special assistant to Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on women's health, outlined the country's effort to shape a more coordinated African agenda on women's health.

“Africa is at an inflection point. We are experiencing the fastest growing population of women, and with that comes widening of the inequality gap. We are experiencing barriers in access, in funding, in research, and continuity of care.”

Adanna Steinacker, Senior Special Assistant to the President of Nigeria on Women's Health

Building on the Coalition for Women's Health in Africa

The summit will build on the work of the Coalition for Women's Health in Africa, or COWHA, a platform bringing together groups across sectors to improve health outcomes for women and girls. Steinacker said coalition members have used global gatherings to push for a clearer strategy on women's health that reflects African priorities and voices.

The women's health gap is a global challenge, Steinacker explained, citing research from the World Economic Forum and McKinsey Health Institute which underscores the economic and societal potential of closing it. But she argued that African leaders are increasingly focused on defining a shared continental response.

“When we talk about Africa, we are at a point where we are coming together with one voice to understand what is women's health strategy.”

Adanna Steinacker

A national priority under RenewHER

The Abuja event also builds on Tinubu's creation of a dedicated government office on women's health under RenewHER, a presidential women's health transformation initiative, elevating the issue as a national priority. Steinacker likened the effort to Ghana's Accra Reset, which called for greater African leadership in shaping the continent's development agenda.

“Similar to the Accra Reset that was championed by the president of Ghana, the president of Nigeria is saying we will come together to understand what the strategy for women's health is so that we work together as a continent, mobilize funding, and make sure that we're not left out of the conversation.”

Adanna Steinacker

An opportunity for entrepreneurs and innovators

With Africa projected to have the world's largest youth population by 2050, Steinacker said the effort is also aimed at supporting entrepreneurs and innovators developing solutions for women's health while creating new opportunities for economic empowerment across the continent.