Request for Proposals: Grand Challenges Nigeria

18 November 2024. State House, Abuja. Grand Challenges Nigeria (GCNg) : Official Launch & Request for Proposals (RFP) Announcement.

The Office of the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Senator Kashim Shettima, the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology (FMIST) and the Nutrition Society of Nigeria (NSN) launched the Grand Challenges Nigeria (GCNg) and the first Request for Proposals towards funding. This announcement was made in partnership with the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), the Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute (NSPRI), FHI360, Dalberg Global Development Advisory, and the Aliko Dangote Foundation. These government, non-
governmental, industry and private sector partnerships ensure that GCNg aligns with national priorities and builds on Nigeria's existing capabilities in science and innovation.

Nigeria is seventh African country to join the Grand Challenges family — after Botswana, Ethiopia, Malawi, Rwanda, Senegal and South Africa.

• The GCNg Project is a vehicle to fund and advance impactful research and innovations in health, food security and development while building capacity for locally developed innovation solutions. Implemented by the Nutrition Society of Nigeria (NSN), GCNg aims to integrate innovative solutions into the fabric of Nigeria’s national strategy to address critical health and development issues.
• Starting in 2010, partners in many countries began to establish Grand Challenges initiatives – including in Brazil, India, South Africa and a pan-African programme, among many others
• the GC Network seeks to intentionally build and strengthen communities of innovation funders, and support and connect grantees to a global network that boosts their potential. 
• 
  Grand Challenges also offers a model that other funders and governments - particularly those in low-middle-income countries can use to dedicate more resources to scientific discovery and innovation in health and development. 
• This approach fosters scientific collaboration at local, regional, and global levels, supporting an ecosystem of interconnected researchers and innovators.

Resource shared by Dr. Moses Alobo, Head of programmes at Science for Africa Foundation
Research priorities in maternal and neonatal health in Africa: results using the Child Health and Nutrition Research Initiative method involving over 900 experts across the continent

Grand Challenges Nigeria l funding call for maternal & and child health

• This Request for Proposals (RFP)  will provide seed grant funding up to Nigerian Naira 60 million per grant (360,000 USD) for a 12 to 15-month project implementation period. 
• Deadline: 31st Jan 2025
  March 2025 Proposal Review completed
  April 30, 2025 Selection Award Announcement
  May 30, 2025 Due Diligence and Contracting
• GCNg seeks to identify and support innovative, scalable ideas and interventions that leverage local contexts to address critical challenges in maternal, newborn, and child health, ultimately prioritizing human health and development. 
• The final grant amount awarded will be determined based on the specific needs, scope, and proposed budget of the project. 
• Applicants are encouraged to submit realistic budget proposals that reflect the actual costs required to achieve their project goals. A maximum of ten (10) projects will be funded.

“At the heart of this project is our commitment to ensuring that the solutions we develop are inclusive and equitable, bringing together public and private sectors, academia, community stakeholders, and other key players. We look forward to working closely with the community of Grand Challenges national programs in Africa including GC South Africa, GC Rwanda, GC Ethiopia, the pan-Africa GC program, and other GC programs around the world to support our community of grantees and accelerate scientific progress,” Professor Salisu Maiwada Abubakar, FNSN, President, Nutrition Society of Nigeria

“We recognise that incremental change is not enough; Nigeria requires transformative, science-driven solutions capable of achieving meaningful impact at scale. We aim to create opportunities for locally grounded, multidisciplinary solutions, ensuring that investments not only address critical gaps but also build upon and amplify the successes of ongoing initiatives,” Professor Folake Samuel PhD (Ib), FNSN, FPMA-UK, Program Director and Technical Lead, Grand Challenges Nigeria. University of Ibadan · Department of Human Nutrition and Dietetics