The Federal Government has taken another decisive step to improve maternal and child healthcare, with the distribution of 10,000 professional kits to midwives across the South-East zone.
The initiative was flagged off in Enugu State on Monday, as part of the ongoing national health workforce retraining and support programme under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
The kits which include 10,000 branded scrubs and 10,000 pairs of crocs were officially presented by the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu CON, during a high-level event that brought together key health stakeholders and government officials. The effort is part of a wider initiative spearheaded by the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) to support 120,000 frontline health workers across the country, of which over 60,000 have already completed retraining.
Speaking at the event, Senator Tinubu emphasized that the donation complements federal investments aimed at reducing maternal and infant mortality. “This is not just a symbolic gesture but a practical show of support for the hardworking midwives who are essential to our healthcare system,” she said, noting that all six geopolitical zones have now received 10,000 professional kits each.
In addition to the kits distribution, Senator Tinubu announced a N50 million grant to empower 1,000 petty traders in Enugu State, with the sum of N50,000 each; another strategic investment under RHI to recapitalize their existing businesses.
The Honourable Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, described the initiative as a critical intervention, pointing out that it benefits over 40% of Nigeria’s registered midwives. “With only about 154,000 registered midwives in the country, this effort significantly boosts our ability to achieve the national targets of reducing maternal mortality by 20% and under-five mortality by 15% by 2027,” he said.
Dr. Salako praised the First Lady’s leadership in public health and named her Nigeria’s “Chief Public Health Champion,” citing her advocacy for tuberculosis elimination, cervical cancer prevention, improved immunization, and better nutrition for our people amongst others.
He added that the Federal Government, through the Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative and, operationalization of the Renewed Hope Agenda has made major strides including the establishment of 12 new tertiary hospitals, employment of over 15,000 health workers, and vaccination of 14 million girls against HPV, delivered over 500 high impact infrastructural projects in our hospitals, grown health insurance coverage by over 15%, train over 60,000 front line health workers, upgraded over 1000 PHCs ( with about 3000 others ongoing) and, disbursed over N86bn to Basic Primary Health care Provision Fund.
Salako highlighted that these served as a prelude to the launch of the Free to Shine Triple Elimination Campaign for HIV/AIDS, Syphilis, and Hepatitis, which will take place in Enugu on Tuesday today. “The campaign targets the elimination of mother-to-child transmission and improved treatment access for women and children.”
With the official handover of the kits to the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), the South-East zone joins the other regions in benefiting from this impactful initiative, marking a significant milestone in Nigeria’s journey toward universal health coverage.
Signed
Alaba Balogun
Deputy Director
Information & Public Relations
10 June 2025
