Posted on: Thu 17-04-2025

In what could be seen as a much-needed gesture toward Nigeria’s strained healthcare system, the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, is stepping into the spotlight with a plan to distribute professional kits to 10,000 midwives and nurses across the South-West. Scheduled for April 18th, this initiative isn’t just charity — it’s an acknowledgment of the critical role these frontline health workers play, and the desperate need for better tools to help them save lives.

But let’s not mistake this for a cure-all. This move is a welcome start, but the real test will be whether it triggers sustained support, deeper reforms, and real investment in the health sector, especially in maternal and child care — not just across the South-West, but nationwide.

 

A Symbolic Step in the Right Direction

The distribution is tied to the “Free to Shine” campaign and the Triple Elimination Initiative, both of which target preventable killers like HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis in women of reproductive age. The timing and focus couldn’t be more urgent. Maternal mortality remains unacceptably high in Nigeria, and midwives and nurses often stand as the last line of defense for countless women and newborns.

It’s a smart and symbolic gesture — but Nigeria’s healthcare crisis runs deeper than supplies. Kits can empower midwives to do their jobs more efficiently, yes, but without fair wages, decent working conditions, and safe, well-equipped facilities, even the best kits won’t go far.

 

Beyond Kits: The Real Work Ahead

If the First Lady’s efforts are truly to be impactful, this initiative must spark more than just applause at ceremonial handovers. It must ignite pressure on state and federal governments to fix the broken systems these nurses and midwives work in. The tragedy is not that our health workers lack kits — the tragedy is that, even with tools, many are stretched thin, underpaid, overworked, and in too many cases, underappreciated.

 

A Broader Blueprint for Empowerment

Governor Aiyedatiwa’s aide, Oluwaseun Osamaye, was quick to point out other programs tied to the First Lady’s visit: scholarships for students, elderly cash support, youth empowerment, and even the charmingly modest “Every Home a Garden” contest. These are good — even heartwarming — but they highlight another truth: piecemeal projects aren’t enough.

Nigeria doesn’t lack ideas or goodwill. It lacks consistency and political will to turn these gestures into systemic change.

 

Nurses and Midwives Deserve to Be Heard, Not Just Helped

It’s refreshing to see the First Lady focusing her platform on the health sector, but true advocacy for healthcare workers must go beyond handouts. Nurses and midwives don’t just need kits — they need seats at the table. They need policies that reflect their value, training that keeps pace with modern medicine, and working conditions that don’t drive them abroad.

 

A Call to State Governments: Match Words with Action

The First Lady’s move is a step forward, but it is now up to state governments, local councils, and health policymakers to pick up the baton. Don’t let this be another headline event that fades after the photos are taken. Midwives and nurses are the backbone of maternal and child healthcare. Equip them, respect them, and most importantly, listen to them.

Because at the end of the day, no toolkit — no matter how comprehensive — can replace a well-supported, fairly treated, and motivated health workforce.

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