The wife of the Kwara State Governor, Prof. Olufolake Abdulrazaq, on Wednesday in Ilorin, welcomed three babies into the New Year 2025.
Abdulrazaq, who was represented by the Commissioner for Women Affairs in the state, Mrs Opeyemi Afolashade, visited the Kwara State University Teaching Hospital (KWASUTH) in Ilorin.
She was there to celebrate the arrival of the New Year babies and to share in the joy of their parents.
She emphasised that the state government, under the leadership of Gov. Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, was passionate about the care and well-being of children.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr Amina El-Imam, noted that welcoming New Year babies was a yearly tradition for the Governor’s wife, as every newborn was considered precious, particularly at the start of a new year.
El-Imam added that Kwara was one of the best places to be born, due to the Governor’s commitment to the welfare of the state’s citizens.
She reaffirmed the state government’s dedication to improving healthcare delivery in Kwara.
The the entourage was guided around the ward where the babies were born by the Chairman of the Medical Advisory Council at KWASUTH, Dr Idowu Ogunlaja.
The first baby was born at 3:25 a.m., weighing 4.1 kilogrammes; the second at 3:50 a.m., weighing 3.1 kilogrammes; and the third at 10:16 a.m., weighing 3.4 kilogrammes.
The babies were presented with gifts by the Governor’s wife.
In response to the kind gesture, one of the parents, Abdullahi Olaoye, who spoke on behalf of the families, expressed gratitude to Abdulrazaq for her kindness.
Olaoye prayed for continued blessings and support for both the Governor’s wife and the state government.
Otti’s wife welcomes first baby in Abia
Similarly, the wife of Abia State Governor, Mrs Priscilla Otti, on Wednesday welcomed the first baby of 2025 at the Aba South Ward Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC).
A baby boy, Chiudo Favour, was born to Mrs Comfort Favour at exactly 12:08 a.m. on New Year’s Day, weighing 3.5 kilogrammes.
Otti also welcomed three other babies born at the facility between 12:10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.
Otti presented gifts, including post-natal care products, nutritional supplies, and cash gifts, to Chiudo and the other babies born on New Year’s Day.
She expressed her joy, calling the birth of a baby a miracle and a wonderful testimony.
Otti emphasised that the baby’s birth at a Primary Healthcare Centre demonstrated the success of the government’s healthcare interventions.
“I am really happy that this is happening at a Primary Healthcare Centre because our goal is to reduce maternal mortality, which is very important.
“The government is determined to ensure that all maternal and child mortality indices will be reduced in Abia.”
She urged the mother of the newborn to prioritise good nutrition and practice exclusive breastfeeding for the health of her baby.
Otti also prayed for the child’s future success and hoped he would be a blessing to both his family and society.
Prof. Enoch Uche, the Commissioner for Health, also spoke, noting that the event highlighted the efficiency of state-owned hospitals and primary healthcare centres.
“The visit to the babies born in the health centre is symbolic and shows that the award won by Abia is not a fluke.
“It also shows that we are working actively to deliver live babies in our health facilities,” Uche said.
He lauded the ongoing renovation of more than 200 PHCs in the state as a demonstration of the government’s commitment to provide quality healthcare services.
The Chairman of Aba South Local Government Area, Mr Obilor Anyanwu, also stated that the birth of the first baby of the year symbolised the blessings of 2025.
He added that the number of births at the health centre had increased, with 144 babies born in 2023 and 110 babies in 2024, showing the impact of the government’s commitment to improving healthcare access.
Favour, the mother of the first baby, expressed her gratitude to the Governor’s wife for her kind gesture and prayed for God’s blessings upon her.
Otti later visited the Federal Medical Centre in Umuahia, where she also welcomed New Year’s Day babies with gift items.