No woman should die during childbirth– First Lady

…flags off midwives support in North East

By Kunle Sanni

The First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has declared that no woman should lose her life while giving birth as she flagged off the distribution of professional kits to midwives in Nigeria’s North East geopolitical zone.

Speaking during the event held in Jalingo, Taraba State, Mrs. Tinubu emphasized the vital role of midwives in reducing maternal and child mortality across the country. The kits, comprising branded scrubs and pairs of Crocs, were distributed under the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), a program she leads to support key sectors of national development.

“This event complements the Federal Government’s ongoing retraining of 120,000 frontline health workers nationwide. So far, over 59,000 have completed their training. The RHI is supporting this with 60,000 branded scrubs and 60,000 pairs of Crocs to encourage the tireless work of our midwives,” she said.

According to the First Lady, each geopolitical zone is receiving 10,000 scrubs and 10,000 pairs of Crocs for distribution across its states. She praised the efforts of health workers and urged Nigerians to continue supporting them, especially at the leadership level.

She also commended the Coordinating Minister of Health, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, and the Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Muyi Aina, for their roles in strengthening healthcare delivery.

In a show of economic empowerment, Mrs. Tinubu announced a N50 million business recapitalization grant for 1,000 women petty traders in Taraba State. The State Governor, Dr. Agbu Kefas, pledged to match the grant with support for an additional 1,000 petty traders.

She also revealed that a similar N50 million grant would be presented to the First Lady of Delta State to support another 1,000 women traders, highlighting RHI’s broader efforts across agriculture, health, education, and social investment since its launch in 2023.

Governor Kefas, in his remarks, described the ongoing changes in the health sector as transformational, noting improved life expectancy and healthcare outcomes. He applauded the First Lady’s dedication to improving lives, especially among vulnerable groups.