From Rose Ejembi, Makurdi
President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday commissioned the 120-bed Mother and Child Hospital in Makurdi, the Benue State capital with an assurance that Nigeria would improve the future opportunities for women and children using the global commitment of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as an immediate strategy.
The president, who was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, in his keynote address, stressed the need to continue to pursue an accelerated reduction of maternal and new-born mortality rate in Nigeria to make sure that every child gets to achieve his or her full potential, while the mother lives long to enjoy the benefits of child-rearing.
‘As the food basket of the nation, it is important that we ensure the effective and efficient use of the investment in this Mother and Child Centre to positively impact the lives of families in Benue State.
‘As more mothers spend less time in dealing with maternal illnesses, so shall they have enough time for their traditional farming responsibilities which would contribute to greater productivity for the state, and by extension, Nigeria as a whole,’ he said.
He stated that the commissioning was a glowing testament to the global community that Nigeria is putting and will continue to put children at the heart of the SDGs.
‘President Muhammadu Buhari does not desire to leave any Nigerian behind in his quest to provide a better living condition for all and that is why the establishment of this Centre, like all his other initiatives, are devoid of party affiliations.’
Mustapha called on all sons and daughters of Benue State to show interest by joining hands together with President Muhammadu Buhari as he works conscientiously to rebuild Nigeria after the devastating effect of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Earlier in her opening remarks, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (SSAP-SDG), Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire disclosed that the newly built 120-bed Mother and Child Hospital in Makurdi was one of the many Mother and Child Centres, her office has constructed and equipped across the country.
She appreciated President Buhari for providing the needed resources to enable her office to work closely with sub-national governments to deliver key interventions to fast track the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
The SSAP also thanked the Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom, for his support and cooperation in the collective desire to implement the SDGs in Nigeria
‘It is imperative to mention that since the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs was established in 2016, we have provided various pro-poor interventions at both the national and sub-national levels.
‘In Benue State, between 2016 and 2020, we have provided 19 projects in the education sector; 7 projects in water & sanitation; 4 in infrastructure; 2 in clean & affordable energy; and this Mother and Child Centre we are commissioning today.
‘These interventions align directly with SDG-4 on ‘Qualitative and inclusive education for all’; SDG-6 on ‘Clean Water and Sanitation; SDG-9 on ‘Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure’; SDG-7 on ‘Clean and Affordable Energy; SDG-3 on ‘Quality Health and Wellbeing. Overall, the projects have recorded about 90 per cent completion rate, while about 10 per cent are at different levels of implementation,’ she said.