Otuasega, a rural community in Ogbia Council of Bayelsa State, was animated on April 3, when Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, paid a rare working visit to launch a Free Medical Outreach and inaugurate the renovated and upgraded Cottage Hospital and Community Secondary School for the community.

The projects, built by the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, in partnership with the Renewed Hope Initiative, RHI, of the First Lady, are to enhance healthcare delivery and education in Bayelsa State and other parts of the Niger Delta region.

The First Lady, assisted by the Minister of Regional Development, Engr. Abubakar Momoh, the Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri and the NDDC board and Management, led by Mr. Chiedu Ebie, restated the commitment of the President Bola Tinubu’s administration to provide accessible and affordable health care to rural communities in the Niger Delta region and other parts of the country.

Senator Tinubu, who also flagged off the commencement of the NDDC 2025 free medical outreach and donation of medical equipment to some health facilities in the region, explained that the introduction of health insurance scheme that is specifically designed to cover rural communities in the Niger Delta will provide many families with access to affordable and reliable medical care.

At the ceremony held at Otuasega, the First Lady commended the NDDC for recognising that health and education are essential pillars of development.

She said: “As an educationist, I am glad that the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, recognises education as a vital pillar of development. That is why distributing 32,000 school desks and benches to public schools will ensure children learn in a more comfortable and conducive environment. All these initiatives align with the Renewed Hope Agenda of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, particularly in the priority areas of education, health, and social investment, which aim to build a healthier, more educated, and empowered populace.”

Senator Oluremi Tinubu emphasised that the people should take full advantage of the various interventions offered by the NDDC.

“To the good people of Bayelsa State and the entire Niger Delta Region, this is your programme. I encourage you to take full advantage of the various interventions, safeguard them, and continue supporting efforts to enhance development in your communities”.

She said that the number of projects inaugurated was a testament to the fact that the Government has put the right team in place to lead the NDDC.

Some of the projects commissioned by the First Lady after the commission flagged off a free medical outreach include 11 ambulances and personal protective gear for selected hospitals in the region, the inauguration of a Cottage hospital, the launch of a health insurance scheme for rural dwellers in the zone, Community Secondary School, Otuasega, and the distribution of textbooks, school benches, and desks.

“The NDDC/RHI collaboration began in 2024 to provide further support in critical areas of development by empowering communities and improving the quality of lives in the Niger Delta region in line with our Renewed Hope Initiative model towards a better life for families.

Earlier, at a meeting with the Bayelsa State Traditional Rulers Council, the First Lady emphasised the importance of leaders prioritising the people’s needs and solicited the support of traditional rulers for RHI advocacy in health.

This marks the third intervention in a series offered by the collaboration between RHI and NDDC since November last year, including the distribution of U-Lesson educational tablets and the launch of the NDDC/RHI Youth Internship scheme.

She said: “I am honoured to be in Bayelsa State after my first visit, and it is a great delight for me to flag off the NDDC medical outreach programme officially, health insurance scheme and the distribution of school desks, benches and textbooks in collaboration with the Renewed Hope initiative, 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 states, with Bayelsa State graciously hosting us today.

“The NDDC/RHI collaboration began in 2024 to provide further supports in critical areas of development by empowering communities and Improving the quality of lives in the Niger Delta region in line with our renewed hope initiative modelled towards a better life for families.

“You may recall that the NDDC’s earlier interventions in Education provided over 45,000 pre-loaded educational tablets and textbooks to primary schools and junior and senior secondary school students in urban and rural communities across all NDDC States.

“Today, the medical outreach programme which I was told is conducted quarterly is aimed to deliver a special health services directly to the communities, it will address common health issues, provide preventive care and raise awareness about health concerns that is proportionately affecting rural residents, particularly in the area of maternal and child health.

Additionally, 11 fully equipped ambulances and personal protective equipment will be donated to enhance healthcare delivery and emergency response in each NDDC state. Specifically, Bayelsa and Delta will receive two ambulances each, while the remaining states will receive one each.”

“This contribution is significantly aid in saving lives and ensure that the various communities receive prompt medical attention when needed, also the introduction of health insurance scheme that is specifically designed to cover rural communities in the Niger Delta will provide many families with access to affordable and reliable medical care, that is why the distribution of thirty two thousand school desks and benches to public school will ensure that children learn in more comfortable and conducive environment.

“All these initiatives align with the Renewed Hope Agenda of His Excellency, President Bola Tinubu, particularly in the priority areas of education, health, and social investment, which aim to build a healthier, more educated, and empowered populace.”

In his remarks, the Governor of Bayelsa State emphasised that the NDDC was playing a complementary role and commended them for their commitment to improving the region.
He thanked the First Lady for her compassion and dedication to improving the lives of Nigerians.

Governor Diri appreciated the Federal Government for several developmental projects executed in the state, especially the linking of roads to some coastal Communities.
He called for collaboration between interventionist agencies and the state Governors in the region to avoid unnecessary duplication of projects in the communities.
Diri lauded President Bola Tinubu for the recent award of the second phase of the Nembe-Brass road project.

Also speaking, the Minister of Regional Development, Abubakar Momoh applauded the collaboration between the NDDC and RHI, stating that it represented a game-changing partnership. He equally commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for taking a particular interest in the development of the Niger Delta region

He declared, “The NDDC is setting standards for good performance in the region.” I advise the regional development agencies to emulate the Commission in delivering projects to the people.”

The Minister urged the various Regional Development Commissions to emulate the NDDC in fulfilling their mandates.

In his address, the NDDC Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, said the essence of the partnership between Renewed Hope Initiative and NDDC, is to make sure the commission deliver the dividends of development in the areas of health, education and other social services that affects women and children and the youth in the Niger Delta

Ogbuku, observed that the partnership with the Renewed Hope Initiative of the First Lady was a reflection of the strong desire of the President Tinubu’s administration to transform the Niger Delta Region into a zone of peace and development.

He said, “As we begin the celebration of 25 years of NDDC, we need more of these strategic and coordinated development programmes to continue our life-saving interventions.”

In the past one month, the NDDC inaugurated four regional projects, including the 9.6-kilometre Abraka-Oben Road in Abraka, Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta State; the 7.3-kilometre Oyigbo Road network in Rivers State; the Eziama-Abba-Owere Nkworji Road in Nwangele Local Government Area, Imo State and the 23.7-kilometre Ndoro-Ntalakwu Road Network in Abia State.

In his goodwill message, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on NDDC, Senator Asuquo Ekpeyong, thanked President Tinubu for his commitment to the progress of the Niger Delta through the Renewed Hope Agenda.

The World Health Organisation’s country Representative, Dr Walter Mulombo, expressed his excitement about the Renewed Hope Initiative’s activities and stated that the WHO would continue to support good health programmes.