First Lady's healing mission to Bayelsa
Otuasega, a rural community in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, was agog on April 3 when the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, launched a free medical outreach and inaugurated the upgraded Cottage Hospital and Community Secondary School there.
The projects were undertaken by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in partnership with Mrs Tinubu’s pet project, the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI). They are to enhance healthcare delivery and education in the state and other parts of Niger Delta.
The First Lady, assisted by Minister of Regional Development, Mr Abubakar Momoh, Governor Douye Diri, and the NDDC team led by its Chairman, Mr. Chiedu Ebie, restated the Federal Government’s commitment to provide accessible and affordable health care to rural communities in Niger Delta and other parts of the country.
The First Lady said NDDC’s 2025 free medical outreach and the donation of medical equipment to some were part of an health insurance scheme designed to cover rural communities in Niger Delta and grant many families access to affordable and reliable medical care.
She hailed NDDC for recognising that health and education were essential pillars of development, saying: “As an educationist, I am glad that 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”.
Urging the people to take advantage of NDDC’s interventions, Mrs Tinubu said: “To the good people of Bayelsa State and the entire Niger Delta Region, this is your programme. I encourage you to… safeguard them and continue to support efforts to enhance development in your communities”.
Some of the projects she commissioned were 11 ambulances and personal protective gear for selected hospitals in the region, a cottage hospital, a health insurance scheme for rural dwellers and a community secondary school. She also oversaw the distribution of textbooks, school benches and desks.
Earlier, at a meeting with members of Bayelsa State Traditional Rulers Council, the First Lady emphasised the importance of leaders prioritising the people’s needs and solicited their support for RHI activities.
Mrs Tinubu recalled her first visit to the state and all that NDDC and RHI have been doing to better the lot of the people in Niger Delta and other parts of the country.
“The NDDC/RHI collaboration began in 2024 to provide more support in critical areas of development by empowering communities and improving the quality of lives in Niger Delta in line with our Renewed Hope Initiative modelled towards a better life for families”, she said.
The First Lady added: “Today, the medical outreach programme which I was told is conducted quarterly is aimed at delivering special health services directly to the communities; it will address common health issues, provide preventive care and raise awareness about health issues affecting rural residents, particularly in the area of maternal and child health”.
Diri praised NDDC for its commitment to improving the region, while noting the projects the Federal Government is executing in the state, especially the linking of roads to some coastal Communities.
He called for collaboration between interventionist agencies and governors of their regions to avoid the duplication of projects.
Momoh said the collaboration between NDDC and RHI represented a game-changing partnership, explaining that “the NDDC is setting standards for good performance in the region.”
NDDC Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, said the essence of the partnership between RHI and NDDC is to ensure that the agency delivered dividends of development in health, education and other social services to women, children and the youth in the region.
He said the partnership was a reflection of the government’s desire to transform Niger Delta 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.”
