Maternal healthcare delivery in Nigeria is challenged by limited access, resource constraints, and high mortality rates. Identifying viable strategies to improve services within this context is essential. This study aimed to identify, describe, and assess innovative approaches to maternal healthcare delivery in Nigeria. Its objective was to determine their perceived effectiveness, feasibility, and key barriers from the perspective of healthcare providers. A mixed-methods design was employed. A nationwide cross-sectional survey was administered to a stratified random sample of obstetric care providers in public and private facilities. This was supplemented by in-depth qualitative interviews with a purposively selected subset of respondents and healthcare administrators. The integration of mobile health (mHealth) platforms for patient communication and monitoring was the most prevalent innovation. Survey data indicated that 68% of providers using such platforms reported improved patient adherence to antenatal appointments. Qualitative analysis identified 'task-shifting through community health worker programmes' as a key strategy for expanding reach, though challenges related to training and supervision were consistently noted. Innovative approaches, particularly technology-enabled solutions and community-based task-shifting, show potential for enhancing maternal healthcare delivery in Nigeria. Their success depends on addressing systemic barriers related to infrastructure, training, and sustainable funding. Policymakers and health service managers should prioritise investment in mHealth infrastructure and formalise training programmes for community health workers. Future initiatives should incorporate robust monitoring and evaluation frameworks from the outset to strengthen the evidence for scale-up. Maternal health, healthcare delivery, innovation, mHealth, task-shifting, Nigeria, Sub-Saharan Africa This study provides a systematic national assessment of innovative maternal healthcare approaches in Nigeria, offering evidence on their perceived utility and implementation challenges to inform policy and practice.
Okonkwo et al. (Sat,) studied this question.