By Ayo Ayodele
First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has flagged off a new package of national incentives under the Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Reduction Innovation Initiative (MAMII), aimed at increasing the utilisation of essential maternal and newborn health services across the country.
The initiative was launched at the State House Banquet Hall in Abuja as part of efforts to tackle the social, economic and logistical barriers preventing women and families from accessing timely healthcare.
The new incentives include 215,000 Mama Kits and bags, 40,000 maternal food-support packs and 40,000 sets of essential newborn clothing for vulnerable women and families.
The package is designed to encourage pregnant women to attend antenatal care early, utilise skilled birth attendants and return for postnatal follow-up.
The flag-off ceremony also featured an exhibition highlighting interventions and progress recorded in improving maternal and newborn healthcare.
The First Lady toured the exhibition led by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, and the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Iziaq Kunle Salako.
She also engaged teams from the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Nigeria Emergency Medical Services and Ambulance System (NEMSAS) and the Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp) Coordination Office.
According to the organisers, significant progress has been recorded through the various interventions.
Through the NPHCDA, nearly 4,000 health facilities have been revitalised, while more than 15,000 community-based health workers have been recruited and almost 120,000 frontline health workers retrained.
Under the NHIA, 60,000 women have reportedly benefited from free Caesarean sections and emergency obstetric services through the Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (CEmONC) programme.
More than 6,000 women have also received free corrective fistula treatment, while NEMSAS has reached over 85,000 women across MAMII Local Government Areas between July 2025 and the latest reporting period.
Speaking at the event, Pate said MAMII was established out of the need to prevent pregnancy-related complications and reduce avoidable maternal and neonatal deaths.
He highlighted the progress recorded under the initiative and credited President Bola Tinubu’s administration for its commitment to addressing challenges in the health sector.
Pate also commended the First Lady for what he described as her sustained advocacy for health-sector initiatives.
In turn, Senator Tinubu commended the milestones recorded under the leadership of the Coordinating Minister and the various agencies involved in the programme.
The event brought together representatives of federal and state governments, the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), religious and traditional institutions, government agencies and development partners.
International partners, including UNICEF, UNFPA, the World Health Organisation and the Gates Foundation, also participated and reaffirmed their commitment to supporting efforts to reduce preventable maternal and newborn deaths in Nigeria.
The organisers said the coordinated interventions are being implemented through the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, with the SWAp Coordination Office supporting collaboration among participating institutions to accelerate progress in reducing maternal and neonatal mortality nationwide.