From tragedy to policy victory

Budget advocacy transforms maternal healthcare in northern Nigeria

After losing her mother to misdiagnosed cancer, Fatima Bashir joined the Federation of Muslim Women’s Associations in Nigeria (FOMWAN) to ensure other families wouldn’t face the same tragedy. Armed with budget literacy skills from the International Budget Partnership (IBP), she trained communities to track healthcare spending and engaged government officials with data exposing critical gaps. Her advocacy secured a 500 million naira increase for maternal health—proving that informed citizens can transform broken systems.