The First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has provided a N50 million grant to the First Lady of Kaduna State, Hajiya Hafsat Uba Sani, to support 1,000 women petty traders in the state.
The grant, issued under the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), was presented in a symbolic cheque at the Umaru Yar’Adua Conference Centre on Monday. Senator Tinubu directed that each beneficiary receive N50,000 to help recapitalize their businesses.
In addition to the grant, the First Lady launched the distribution of 10,000 professional kits for midwives across the North-West states, including Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, and Zamfara. The kits, consisting of 10,000 scrubs and 10,000 pairs of Crocs, were donated by an anonymous global donor and handed over to the National Primary Health Care Development Agency for distribution.
Senator Tinubu emphasized that the initiative complements the Federal Government’s ongoing retraining exercise for 120,000 frontline health workers nationwide. She assured that all six geopolitical zones would benefit from similar distributions, noting that the North-Central zone received its allocation in January, while the South-South would be next.
“The Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) recognizes the essential role of midwives and the need to provide them with proper tools to enhance their work,” she stated.
Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, commended the First Lady for her support, describing the distribution of professional kits as a demonstration of her commitment to the welfare of Nigerian women, particularly in underserved communities.
He highlighted maternal mortality as a pressing challenge, especially in rural areas with limited healthcare access, and stressed the importance of equipping midwives with proper gear to ensure hygiene and infection control.
Governor Sani also reaffirmed Kaduna State’s commitment to improving healthcare services, disclosing that the government had recruited 100 ad-hoc midwives and was upgrading 290 Primary Healthcare Centers (PHCs) with state-of-the-art equipment. An additional 255 PHCs are set for upgrades this year, with construction ongoing for 143 facilities.
The First Lady’s initiatives, he noted, would further strengthen healthcare delivery and improve maternal and child health outcomes in the region.
