Google.org has awarded Nigerian health technology startup Helium Health a $2.5 million (about N3.4 billion) grant to deploy artificial intelligence tools across primary maternal healthcare, targeting 1.9 million pregnant women over the next three years in a push to reduce Nigeria’s high maternal mortality burden.
The funding, announced on Wednesday, makes Helium Health the only Nigerian organisation selected among 15 global recipients of Google.org’s $30 million Impact Challenge: AI for Government Innovation, which supports the use of artificial intelligence to improve public services through partnerships with governments.
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The initiative will deploy clinical AI models through Helium Health’s maternal healthcare programme, HeliumMum, to help community health workers identify pregnancy complications early, connect women to appropriate medical care and improve clinical decision-making at primary healthcare facilities.
Nigeria accounts for nearly 30 percent of maternal deaths globally, making it one of the countries with the highest maternal mortality burdens. The deployment seeks to contribute to a 30 percent reduction in maternal deaths by identifying women at risk before complications become life-threatening.
The programme will begin in Lagos, which will serve as its primary operational base, before expanding to Delta, Kano and Oyo states. The implementation roadmap was presented to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu at Lagos House, Marina, during a meeting involving executives from Google and Helium Health.
Dimeji Sofowora, chief executive officer of Helium Health, said the grant would enable the company to expand its maternal healthcare interventions, building on initiatives that have reached more than 3.5 million women.
Shona Oluwatola, head of public health at Helium Health, said the programme aims to reach an additional 1.9 million women within three years, with early identification of pregnancy risks central to reducing preventable deaths.
The technology will connect pregnant women with healthcare providers equipped with electronic medical records and AI-powered clinical decision support systems. It will also provide governments with actionable health data to identify service gaps, strengthen maternal health interventions and improve resource allocation.
The deployment comes as Nigeria continues to grapple with weaknesses in primary healthcare delivery, including shortages of skilled health workers, inadequate infrastructure, limited access to essential services and delays in identifying pregnancy-related complications.
While artificial intelligence could improve early risk detection and support clinical decisions, the programme’s effectiveness will depend on how well the technology integrates into existing public healthcare facilities and whether frontline health workers can use it consistently.
Google.org said the 15 organisations selected for the global challenge would receive funding alongside technical support from Google engineers and AI product experts through a dedicated accelerator programme.
Maggie Johnson, global head of Google.org, said the initiative was designed to help organisations working directly with governments translate AI’s potential into practical improvements in public services.
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For Nigeria, the deployment represents an opportunity to apply AI beyond administrative automation and consumer-facing applications to a critical public health challenge.
However, reaching 1.9 million pregnant women across four states will require sustained coordination with state governments, reliable health data, adequate connectivity and effective referral systems.
The larger test will be whether AI-assisted screening can translate into earlier treatment, better access to emergency obstetric care and fewer preventable maternal deaths.
Royal Ibeh is a senior journalist with years of experience reporting on Nigeria’s technology and health sectors. She currently covers the Technology and Health beats for BusinessDay newspaper, where she writes in-depth stories on digital innovation, telecom infrastructure, healthcare systems, and public health policies.
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