The First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has officially launched a 100-bed Mother and Child Centre at the Awo-Omamma General Hospital near Owerri, Imo State.
This state-of-the-art facility, named the Senator Oluremi Tinubu Mother and Child Centre, was built by the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (OSSAP-SDGs) and was inaugurated on Saturday.
The inauguration was carried out on behalf of the First Lady by the Wife of the Vice President, Hajia Nana Shettima. The event was confirmed in a statement on Sunday by Mr. Desmond Utomwen, Special Adviser on Publicity and Strategic Communication to OSSAP-SDGs.
During the ceremony, Shettima emphasized that the centre represents a key step in Nigeria’s progress towards achieving health-related Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. “This centre embodies the commitment of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to providing quality healthcare for Nigerians, especially women and children. We must continue to prioritize maternal and child healthcare as the foundation for a healthier, more prosperous society,” she said.
She urged women and families in surrounding communities to fully utilize the services offered at the centre and to take ownership of the facility to ensure its long-term sustainability. She also expressed gratitude to healthcare workers, particularly nurses and midwives, for their significant role in improving maternal and child health outcomes across the country.
The First Lady further commended the efforts of Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, and his wife, Chioma Uzodimma, for their commitment to the well-being of the people. She also praised Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs, for leading impactful interventions across the country.
The newly inaugurated facility, located within the Awo-Omamma General Hospital, is equipped with comprehensive healthcare amenities, including private and general wards, an operating theatre, recovery rooms, consultation units, scanning rooms, adult and paediatric intensive care units, a laboratory, ultrasound machines, emergency carts, delivery kits, and vacuum extractors.
Governor Uzodimma, in his remarks, lauded the project as a timely and strategic intervention that addresses critical gaps in the state’s healthcare system. He thanked President Tinubu for his leadership and for prioritizing the health and dignity of mothers and children as national concerns.
“Naming this centre after Senator Oluremi Tinubu is not only a well-deserved honor but a lasting testament to her compassion, advocacy, and service to women and vulnerable groups,” Uzodimma stated. “This facility will greatly enhance our state’s healthcare infrastructure and significantly reduce maternal and child mortality.”
Orelope-Adefulire pointed out that this 100-bed facility is one of many being developed under the OSSAP-SDGs program to strengthen healthcare systems at the sub-national level. She emphasized that the hospital was part of Nigeria’s SDGs commitment to ensuring universal access to quality healthcare.
“This centre is a testament to the First Lady’s unwavering dedication to the welfare of mothers, children, and vulnerable populations,” she said. She also highlighted that maternal and child health outcomes in Nigeria still fall short of targets, calling for intensified efforts to ensure pregnant women attend antenatal and postnatal clinics and that children receive timely vaccinations.
Orelope-Adefulire announced that the facility would begin full operations within the next two to three months and urged the people of Imo State to make the most of the new healthcare resource. She also mentioned that her office would return to Imo in June for an empowerment initiative aimed at women in the South-East region.
Finally, she reaffirmed President Tinubu’s commitment to strengthening federal-state collaborations in implementing SDG-aligned projects. The Imo State Government provided the land for the project, reflecting the collaborative efforts between federal and state authorities. This initiative addresses pressing healthcare challenges and paves the way for a future where every mother and child can live healthier, dignified lives.
