In a move to strengthen maternal and child health services in underserved areas, the Sen. Oluremi Tinubu Mother and Child Centre—a 100-bed hospital—was inaugurated on Tuesday in Awo-Omamma, near Owerri, Imo State.
The facility, named after the Wife of the President, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, is expected to play a key role in Nigeria’s pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly goals related to health and well-being. Represented by the Wife of the Vice President, Hajia Nana Shettima, Tinubu described the centre as a symbol of “renewed hope” and a tangible step toward improving healthcare delivery for vulnerable populations.
The initiative reflects a broader commitment by the federal government to reduce maternal and infant mortality, close healthcare access gaps in rural communities, and promote inclusive, quality care across the country.
“I urge women and members of this community to take advantage of the services available at this Mother and Child center.
“I also charge you to take ownership of this center. It is for your benefits and the welfare of your children,” she said.
The president’s wife commended health workers, especially nurses and midwives, for the healthcare they provide for mother and children.
She also commended Gov. Hope Uzodimma and his wife, Chioma, for their dedication to the wellbeing and development of the people of the state.
“Let us continue to pursue excellence in health-care delivery, and work towards a future where every mother and child can live healthier,” she said.
In a remark, the governor thanked the president “for the timely and strategic investment in the health and dignity of our mothers and children in the state.
“Naming this hospital after Her Excellency, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, is a fitting tribute to her tireless contributions to national development and unwavering advocacy for women and vulnerable groups.
“It is not just a well-deserved honour, it is a permanent reminder that impactful service, compassion, and leadership must be recognised,” he said.
He also said that his administration was committed to reducing maternal and child mortality linked to inadequate facilities and healthcare access.
He said the facility had joined a growing list of Federal Government’s interventions under the Renewed Hope Agenda and stood as a clear demonstration of focused and inclusive leadership.
He also thanked the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDG, whose coordination, he said, helped bring the project to fruition.
The governor said: “In Imo, we have matched this federal commitment with strong action.
“We have entered into an MOU with the World Bank to renovate and manage all 305 primary healthcare centers across every electoral ward and build new ones.
“Our goal is to build a new health architecture that boasts of a management structure fully capacitated with sufficient technical manpower.
“We have also put in place a comprehensive health insurance scheme to ensure that medical care is cheaper, available, and efficient.
“To further expand our medical care outreach, we introduced rural mobile clinics, built three new general hospitals, and upgraded existing ones, including the Imo Specialist Hospital, Umuguma.”
He further said that the State Government had revived the Imo State University Teaching Hospital, Orlu, which had lost accreditation and functionality.
“Today, it is fully operational, graduating doctors, equipped with modern facilities, and poised to reduce outbound medical travel across the South-East.
“We remain grateful for the Federal Government’s approval to upgrade the former Federal Medical Centre, Owerri, to a full teaching hospital under the Federal University of Technology, Owerri.
“This has greatly enhanced our capacity to handle complex medical referrals from within and outside Imo,” he said.
Uzodimma said the new hospital fits squarely within Imo integrated health infrastructure plan and broader commitment to safe motherhood, child survival, and improved health outcomes for every family.
Also, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDG, Adejoke Orelope-Adefulere, said the facility was one of the many mother and child hospitals fully equipped and established to support healthcare systems at the sub-national levels.
“We know that the governors are working hard to establish healthcare infrastructure that supports mothers and children.
“This mother and child center is unique and was named in honour of Tinubu’s wife in recognition of her care for mothers, children and vulnerable population even before becoming the First Lady,” she said.
She commended the president’s wife for her commitment, motherly support and compassion for the socio-economic development of women, youth, children and vulnerable members of the society.
Orelope-Adefulere disclosed that her office would in June come for empowerment programme for women in Imo and other SouthEast states.
She thanked the president for his sterling leadership and commitment in working closely with sub-national governments to deliver key interventions and fast track the achievements of SDG in Nigeria.
She also thanked Uzodimma for his commitment to the socio-economic transformation of the state and the collective desire to achieve the SDG globally.
“Key findings from our recently published Nigeria SDG Progress Report 2024 revealed that Mother and Child outcome had remained very low, falling significantly short of the SDG target despite our intervention.
“It means that we need to do more by communicating with our people, advocacy, sensitisation that every pregnant woman must come to the hospital to register for antenatal and postnatal, to ensure also that our children receive their vaccination as at when due.
“With this mother and child hospital here, it will provide services for our mothers here in the next two to three months,” Orelope-Adefulere said.
She further disclosed that Uzodimma provided the land for the establishment of the facility within the General Hospital.
She said the 100-bed facility was equipped with the state-of-the-art facility, including operation theater, recovery room, private and general wards and scanning rooms.
She further said that the facility was equipped with consultation room, laboratory, ultrasound machine, vacuum extractor, delivery set, emergency cart, as well as children and adult intensive care units, among others.
Orelope-Adefulere urged the state and the people to key into the intervention and make judicious use of the facility in a sustainable way.
She affirmed the president’s commitment to continue to prioritise interventions with potential impacts on the lives of the poor and vulnerable members of society, ensuring that no Nigerian was left behind.
