… Seeks to Empower Women, Combat Maternal Mortality
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has unveiled RenewHER, a Presidential Women’s Health Transformation Initiative, aimed at reducing maternal mortality and improving women’s well-being across the country.
The President, represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, launched the programme on Thursday night at a Gala and Awards ceremony held at the State House, Abuja.
He described RenewHER as a national priority and “an answer to one of the nation’s most critical prayers.”
In a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communications Office of the Vice President Stanley Nkwocha, Tinubu said “there is no greater test of a nation’s character than the care it extends to its women.
“Maternal health is the heartbeat of every family, the compass of social stability, and the truest index of national welfare,” President Tinubu declared.
The President explained that RenewHER would serve as “the national engine of collaboration among all stakeholders” to drive a healthier Nigeria.
A new Presidential Focal Office on Women’s Health will work with the Federal Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Women Affairs, the State-Wide Approach Coordination Office (SWAp), and the Nigeria Governors’ Spouses Forum to embed women’s health priorities nationwide.
Tinubu also announced the creation of an AI-powered National Women’s Health Digital Hub, designed to deliver geo-targeted campaigns on maternal survival, adolescent health, preventive care, and healthcare workforce strengthening.
The hub will connect women and families with trusted health information while linking healthcare delivery to entrepreneurship and national prosperity.
“Maternal mortality is a shame against which we must all rally. We owe every girl-child not just the eloquent promise of a better tomorrow, but the certainty of a healthier one,” the President said, stressing that RenewHER would complement existing programmes such as the MAMII initiative while working with international partners.
Prof. Olufolake AbdulRazaq, First Lady of Kwara State and Chairperson of the Nigeria Governors’ Spouses Forum, pledged that the forum would support RenewHER in every state of the federation.
She said the initiative reflects the Tinubu administration’s commitment not only to women’s health but also to their empowerment.
In her opening remarks, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Women’s Health, Dr. Adanna Steinacker, said the programme was made possible by the President’s vision of prioritising women’s health at the national level.
She called on stakeholders to unite as “one movement aimed at renewing Nigeria’s future.”
The UN Women Country Representative for Nigeria, Ms. Beatrice Eyong, described the initiative as “a turning point” and a “bold step” by the Nigerian government.
She noted that this was the first time women’s health was being treated at the highest policy level as a driver of socio-economic growth, assuring that the UN would support efforts to “expand access” for Nigerian women.
The event drew top dignitaries, including the Chief of Staff to the President, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, governors’ wives, diplomats, and development partners.
The Nation
