Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has presented 10,000 professional kits to midwives across the six northeast states and handed over a ₦50m cheque to support 1,000 women in Taraba State.
The first lady said this was in reaffirmation of the federal government’s commitment to health interventions aimed at reducing maternal and child mortality across the country.
Speaking in Jalingo, the Taraba State capital, during an engagement with traditional rulers, she emphasised the administration’s focus on building a healthier population, especially among the youth, by tackling preventable diseases.
She further highlighted the important role of traditional institutions in grassroots mobilisation and urged monarchs to support the Renewed Hope Initiative by raising awareness of ongoing health programmes.
“We are here to encourage frontline health workers by providing incentives and recognising their efforts. When well-supported, we believe maternal and infant mortality rates will decline significantly.
“We are also raising awareness about HIV/AIDS, especially mother-to-child transmission, which remains high. Partnering with traditional leaders will help spread the message that treatment for HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis is available and free,” she said.
The Coordinating Minister of Health, Prof. Ali Pate, also addressed the gathering, stressing the Federal Government’s commitment to frontline healthcare delivery.
He noted that, “In the North East alone, 8,500 frontline health workers have been trained—1,300 from Taraba. Over 1,000 health facilities receive quarterly funding from the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund, including 170 in Taraba.”
Governor Dr Agbu Kefas and his wife, Agyin Kefas, appreciated the first lady for the interventions, which they said aligned with the state’s development priorities.
