In pursuit of strengthening the health sector and curbing maternal mortality, the Federal Government, in partnership with First Lady Oluremi Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Initiative, has empowered one thousand midwives in the North-Central with professional kits.

According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Nigeria contributes 10 per cent of global deaths for pregnant mothers, with a maternal mortality rate of 576 per 100,000 live births, representing the fourth highest in the world.

The reasons behind these damning figures are well-founded, as many pregnant women lack access to proper healthcare, as well as the ill-equipped nature of many healthcare centres and hospitals in the country.

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President Bola Tinubu has, however, vowed to reduce maternal mortality by 20% and under-5 mortality by 15% by 2027.

While speaking at the event in Ilorin, the capital city of Kwara, a state in North-Central Nigeria, the Minister of State for Health, Iziaq Adekunle Salako, applauded midwives for their relentless efforts in providing healthcare for expectant mothers.

He assured Nigerians that this initiative by the FG will ensure that every Nigerian mother has access to skilled care during pregnancy and childbirth.