Youth power meets innovation at NSSF inaugural ‘WeNaija Innovators Pitch’
The Nigeria Solidarity Support Fund (NSSF) has successfully hosted the first-ever ‘WeNaija Innovators Pitch’, a groundbreaking virtual event that spotlighted youth-led, community-based healthcare solutions across Nigeria.
The pitch session brought together 168 participants, including health leaders, development partners, media, and grassroots advocates to celebrate and invest in the ideas of young changemakers.
The event was the grand finale of the WeNaija Impact Cohort—a four-month capacity-building programme that equipped 82 youth advocates across 26 states and 41 communities with the tools to design and implement localised health interventions.
The programme reached over 1,000 Nigerians through real-time grassroots engagement.
Out of 37 co-created solutions, six winning projects emerged and were awarded ₦1,000,000 each, along with structured mentorship support to scale their innovations.
The winning projects by Health Focus Areas include:
“In the Female Adolescent Health Category, Adebisi Amori from Queen’s School, Ibadan, Oyo State and Ndidi Ofiaeli from Eva Adelaja Girls Senior Secondary Grammar School, Lagos State, emerged winners.
“In the Maternal Health Category, Dido Iliya from Women attending antenatal sessions, University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital and Elizabeth Udah of the Women & Children Clinic, UDUTH, Sokoto, emerged winners.
In the Health Insurance Category, Aghogho Akpoyovwaire – Sickle Cell Care Foundation, Osun State and Amina Jibril – Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP), Mangu LGA, Plateau State, emerged winners.”
Commenting on the impact of the programme, the Managing Director of NSSF, Dr Fejiro Chinye-Nwoko said:
“This pitch marks not just the end of a journey, but the beginning of real-world solutions. These youth have demonstrated the power of community and the potential to transform healthcare, one idea at a time.”
The distinguished panel of judges—including Prof. Heidi Larson, Uzoma Dozie, and Her Excellency Olufolake Abdulrazaq, First Lady of Kwara State—assessed the projects based on innovation, feasibility, and community relevance.
Her Excellency, Olufolake Abdulrazaq praised the depth of the solutions:
“I am thrilled to see how deeply rooted these ideas are in the lived realities of local communities. These young people are not only responding to problems, they are reimagining healthcare delivery.”
The ‘WeNaija Innovators Pitch’ marks a new era in youth-led innovation, proving that with the right support, Nigerian youths are not only capable of solving local health challenges—they are redefining what’s possible.
