17 hours ago
4 ARTICLE AD
Wife of the President, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has assured that President Bola Tinubu is committed to providing accessible and affordable healthcare to rural communities in the Niger Delta and other parts of the country that have long suffered neglect.
She gave the assurance on Thursday during the launch of access to health insurance services for vulnerable and impoverished communities, as well as the inauguration of a Cottage Hospital and a Community School built by the Niger Delta Development Commission in collaboration with the Renewed Hope Initiative at Otuasega, Ogbia Local Government Area, Bayelsa State.
The First Lady emphasised that the Federal Government is focused on significantly improving lives by ensuring that communities have access to prompt medical care, thereby reducing the country’s mortality rate.
Additionally, Senator Tinubu flagged off the NDDC 2025 free medical outreach and the donation of medical equipment to health facilities across the region.
She explained that the newly introduced health insurance scheme is specifically designed to cover rural communities in the Niger Delta.
The initiative will provide thousands of families with access to affordable and reliable medical care.
“I am honoured to be in Bayelsa State for my first visit, and it is a great pleasure for me to officially flag off the NDDC medical outreach programme, health insurance scheme, and the distribution of school desks, benches, and textbooks in collaboration with the Renewed Hope Initiative,” Tinubu said.
“The beneficiaries of this programme are the nine states of the Niger Delta region, namely: Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Rivers, Edo, Imo, Abia, and Ondo, with Bayelsa State graciously hosting us today.”
She continued, “The NDDC/RHI collaboration began in 2024 to provide further support in critical areas of development, empowering communities and improving the quality of life in the Niger Delta region, in line with our Renewed Hope Initiative model, which aims to create a better life for families.”
Tinubu reminded the audience of earlier NDDC initiatives in education, including the distribution of over 45,000 preloaded educational tablets and textbooks to primary, junior, and senior secondary school students across both urban and rural communities in all the NDDC states.
“The NDDC/RHI internship scheme has also begun disbursing N50,000 monthly stipends to 500 pre-identified beneficiaries for a one-year period across all nine states, through the office of the state First Ladies. This is essentially a conditional cash transfer,” she added.
Speaking about the medical outreach programme, which is conducted quarterly, Tinubu highlighted that it aims to provide special health services directly to communities. The programme will address common health issues, offer preventive care, and raise awareness about health concerns that disproportionately affect rural residents, especially in maternal and child health.
“In addition, we are donating 11 fully equipped ambulances, along with personal protective equipment, to enhance healthcare delivery and emergency response. Each NDDC state will receive one ambulance, while Bayelsa and Delta will receive two each,” she explained.
“This contribution is intended to significantly aid in saving lives and ensuring that communities receive prompt medical attention when needed. The health insurance scheme will further provide thousands of families with access to affordable and reliable medical care.”
Tinubu also highlighted the distribution of 32,000 school desks and benches to public schools, ensuring that children can learn in a more comfortable and conducive environment.
“All these initiatives are aligned with the Renewed Hope Agenda of His Excellency, President Bola Tinubu, especially in the priority areas of education, health, and social investment, aimed at building a healthier, more educated, and empowered populace,” she said.
Earlier, the Managing Director of NDDC, Chief Samuel Ogbuku, explained that the partnership between the Renewed Hope Initiative and the NDDC was aimed at delivering development in the areas of health, education, and social services, with a special focus on women, children, and youth in the Niger Delta region.
Ogbuku also revealed that in the past month, NDDC had been commissioning road projects across the region, which were part of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, also expressed his gratitude to the Federal Government for the numerous development projects undertaken in the state, particularly the linking of roads to coastal communities.
