Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to reducing maternal and child mortality through improved health interventions and grassroots engagement.
Speaking during a meeting with traditional rulers in Jalingo, Taraba State, she emphasized the administration’s focus on strengthening healthcare—particularly among women and youth—by targeting preventable diseases and improving service delivery.
“We are here to encourage frontline health workers by providing incentives and recognizing their efforts,” Tinubu stated. “When well-supported, we believe maternal and infant mortality rates will decline significantly.”
She underscored the crucial role traditional institutions play in community mobilization, urging monarchs to help raise awareness of the Renewed Hope Initiative’s ongoing health programs.
The First Lady also drew attention to the need for action on HIV/AIDS, especially mother-to-child transmission, which she described as persistently high. “Treatment for HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis is available and free. We need to get this message to the people, and traditional leaders are key to that,” she added.
Coordinating Minister of Health, Prof. Ali Pate, echoed her sentiments, highlighting the government’s frontline healthcare efforts.
“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,” he said.
Taraba State Governor, Dr. Agbu Kefas, and First Lady Agyin Kefas, commended the federal interventions and noted they align with the state’s developmental priorities.
As part of her visit, Mrs. Tinubu donated 10,000 professional kits to midwives across the six North East states and presented a ₦50 million cheque to empower 1,000 women in Taraba.
