Nigeria has one of the highest maternal mortality ratios in the world, and most deaths occur in the northern part of the country. Concerns about the persistence of the problem prompted some Nigerian academics to partner with their American colleagues to establish a postgraduate fellowship programme that builds the capacity of Nigerian scholars across disciplines to conduct community-based research in maternal and reproductive health, as a strategy to fast-track the pursuit of the MDGs in northern Nigeria. As part of this unique, hands-on training program, several landmark operations research initiatives have been undertaken with the potential to transform the region. As a final output of the training process, the programme‘s fellows have unveiled the findings of their community-based research in this special journal edition that reflects the current state of maternal and reproductive health in rural northern Nigeria.