South-East: First lady distributes 10,000 professional kits to midwives

As part of efforts to strengthen maternal and child healthcare, the first lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu has distributed 10,000 professional kits to midwives in the South-East zone.

The initiative, flagged off on Monday in Enugu State, featured a symbolic handover of the kits—including branded scrubs and pairs of crocs.

According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare Deputy Director of Information and Public Relations, Alaba Balogun, the distribution is part of a broader effort to equip 120,000 frontline health workers nationwide, over 60,000 of whom have already undergone retraining.

Speaking at the ceremony, the first lady described the initiative as a concrete show of support for midwives, who she called “vital to the success of our healthcare system.” She emphasized that all six geopolitical zones have now benefited from the distribution of 10,000 kits each.

Beyond the healthcare intervention, Senator Tinubu also announced a N50 million economic empowerment grant for 1,000 petty traders in Enugu State, with each beneficiary receiving N50,000 to boost their small businesses. The grant falls under the Renewed Hope Initiative’s economic inclusion drive.

The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Tunji Salako, who was also present, described the intervention as a key boost to maternal and child health outcomes.

He noted that the kits would benefit over 40% of Nigeria’s approximately 154,000 registered midwives—an effort expected to significantly advance the country’s goal of reducing maternal mortality by 20% and under-five mortality by 15% by 2027.

Dr. Salako praised Senator Tinubu’s active role in health advocacy, naming her Nigeria’s “Chief Public Health Champion” for her leadership in campaigns against tuberculosis, cervical cancer, poor nutrition, and low immunization rates.

He also highlighted major milestones achieved under the Renewed Hope Agenda, including:

Establishment of 12 new tertiary hospitals,
Recruitment of over 15,000 health workers,
Vaccination of 14 million girls against HPV,
Completion of over 500 hospital infrastructure projects,
Expansion of health insurance coverage by over 15%
Upgrades to more than 1,000 Primary Health Centres (PHCs), with 3,000 others underway,
Disbursement of over N86 billion through the Basic Health Care Provision Fund.

The event brought together top health sector officials, frontline workers, and government representatives.