After UNICEF applause, First Lady commends partners for health, birth registration gains
First Lady Oluremi Tinubu has commended development partners, State First Ladies and coordinators of her Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) for their dedication to advancing child protection and public health interventions
- ...urges renewed push to beat 2030 disease-elimination targets
First Lady Oluremi Tinubu has commended development partners, State First Ladies and coordinators of her Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) for their dedication to advancing child protection and public health interventions across the country.
Her commendation followed a visit last Friday by the Country Representative of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Wafaa Elfadil Saeed Abdelatef, and her team to the State House, Abuja.
During the meeting, the UNICEF delegation shared encouraging updates on progress made in birth registration nationwide, disclosing that more than 14 million children have been officially registered in the past two years.
The team also acknowledged ongoing efforts under the RHI and related partnerships to strengthen child welfare and health outcomes.
Building on that engagement, Mrs. Tinubu expressed appreciation to UNICEF and other valued partners, as well as the 36 State First Ladies, RHI Coordinators and the FCT Coordinator, for what she described as their hard work and commitment to the shared cause.
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In a statement she released on Monday, First Lady Tinubu noted that the increase in birth registration reflects collective determination to safeguard the identity and rights of every Nigerian child, describing legal identity as foundational to access to essential services and long-term protection.
The First Lady also commended stakeholders for the strides recorded in elimination efforts against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, cervical cancer, syphilis, hepatitis B, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), other Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), and vaccine-preventable diseases.
According to her, the milestones demonstrate what sustained collaboration and coordinated action can achieve.
“This commendation is an indication that when we work together with renewed determination, we can eliminate many of these diseases even before the 2030 global target,” she said.
Mrs. Tinubu urged partners not to relent, stressing that the progress recorded should serve as motivation to intensify interventions and expand outreach, particularly to underserved communities.
She reaffirmed her commitment to championing initiatives that protect vulnerable groups, especially women and children, and called for continued unity of purpose in consolidating the gains already made.
She expressed optimism that with sustained collaboration and renewed resolve, Nigeria would not only meet global benchmarks but also strengthen its health and civil registration systems for future generations.
