Shettima Backs NEDC’s Renewed Hope Baby Support to Close Child Identity and Healthcare Gaps

The Vice President, Kashim Shettima, has endorsed the Renewed Hope Baby Support (RHBS) programme, a new national human capital initiative designed to ensure structured identity registration, healthcare access, and long-term development opportunities for Nigerian children.

The initiative, developed by the North East Development Commission, was presented to the Vice President at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, by its management team led by Managing Director/CEO, Mohammed Goni Alkali.

Alignment With 2026 Social Protection Agenda

Shettima said the programme aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s declaration of 2026 as the Year of the Family and Social Protection, noting that it supports the administration’s broader Renewed Hope Agenda.

He praised the NEDC for translating government policy direction into practical interventions aimed at improving welfare systems, particularly in the North-East.

According to him, the RHBS fits into the North-East Stabilization and Development Masterplan, especially its pillars of a peaceful society, healthy citizens, and an educated population.

Call for Inter-Agency Collaboration

The Vice President called for stronger collaboration between the NEDC, the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, and other relevant agencies to ensure effective implementation and maximum impact of the programme.

He described RHBS as a timely intervention that could help cushion the effects of ongoing economic reforms while prioritising the welfare of vulnerable Nigerians, especially women and children.

Tackling Nigeria’s Birth Registration Gap

Presenting the programme framework, Dr. Mariam Masha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Regional Development and NEDC, highlighted Nigeria’s significant birth registration challenges.

She noted that while Nigeria records about 7.6 million births annually, fewer than half are officially registered within the first year, leaving millions of children outside formal identity and planning systems.

According to her, RHBS is designed as a structured national model that links newborns to identity systems, healthcare participation, and developmental opportunities from birth.

She stressed that the initiative is not a traditional welfare programme but a coordinated national framework for human capital development and long-term inclusion.

Rollout Timeline

The Presidency also indicated that further details on implementation will be unveiled on May 27, 2026, to mark Children’s Day.

The initiative is expected to strengthen Nigeria’s early-childhood development systems while improving data-driven planning across health, education, and social protection sectors.