…receives five New Year babies at FMC Jabi, says generosity key to prosperity
…NPC stresses birth registration as foundation for identity, planning
First Lady Oluremi Tinubu on Thursday challenged Nigerian women to embrace generosity as a pathway to abundance, urging them to give intentionally to the less privileged as the country steps into the New Year.
Speaking to journalists after receiving the first babies of 2026 at the Federal Medical Centre Jabi, Abuja, the First Lady said giving was a powerful principle that attracts blessings, prosperity and growth.
“Make sure you are generous. This year, I tell people, if you want money, you have to sow money to the lives of the less privileged. Sow money, whatever you sow, you will receive. If you like to give clothes to people, you’ll be receiving abundant clothes. You can’t sow corn and receive corn. Be generous; it’s a year of generosity. Our giving should be intentional,” she said.
Mrs Tinubu, who was accompanied by the wife of the Vice President, Nana Shettima; the Minister of Women Affairs, Imaan Suleiman-Ibrahim; and the Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory, Mariya Mahmoud, said she received a total of five newborns.
The babies included the first baby of the year, a female infant delivered at exactly midnight by a 26-year-old first-time mother, Patience Adakole; a set of triplets (two boys and a girl) delivered by Blessing Oragwu after 13 years of waiting, and another baby boy.
“I welcomed five in total; the baby of the year, a girl, and then the triplets, the mother has waited for 13 years, which is wonderful, and another baby boy,” the First Lady said, describing the moment as deeply fulfilling.
Drawing from cultural symbolism, she expressed optimism for the nation in 2026.
“In Yoruba land, when you have girls, they will say they come with ease. So we believe that this year is going to be a great year for us as a nation, peace in abundance, prosperity in abundance,” she said.
Reflecting on the passage into the New Year, Mrs Tinubu added, “I’m excited because last year was something else. All of us that made it to the New Year should be thankful. There were so many deaths that we shouldn’t even think about. We thank God for His mercy, and we believe that this year will be a blessed year for us.”
She said the outreach was coordinated across multiple hospitals in Abuja, with members of the delegation visiting different facilities to welcome newborns and distribute gifts.
“Her Excellency, the wife of the Vice President, is going to another hospital to welcome the baby of the year there. We have boxes and gifts for them. The Minister of Women Affairs is going to the National Hospital, and the Minister of State for the FCT is going to another hospital. Our hands are full with babies, and we pray that these babies will be blessings to this nation,” she said.
Addressing Nigerian women, the First Lady described them as resilient and industrious, urging them not to be constrained by limited resources.
“Nigerian women are blessed and very hardworking. Whatever you feel God has laid in your heart to do, do it. Never feel that you don’t have money to do business. Start small, and you will be amazed,” she advised.
She added, “Whatever I’ve done in my life, this government has not given me a dime. But you can see the great things God is using people to do. When people see me doing things, they gift me, and I become generous with it.”
Also speaking at the event, the Chairman of the National Population Commission, Aminu Yusuf, underscored the importance of birth registration, describing it as a critical legal identity for every child.
“It becomes a legal document that the child will be proud of by the time he grows. It gives the child access to education, health, and whatever you can think of,” Yusuf said.
He disclosed plans to decentralise the New Year birth registration exercise across the country.
“By next year, similar activities should be replicated in all the states. We want people to be aware of the importance of registration. First ladies visit hospitals, but we want them to carry along our staff so the process is institutionalised,” he said.
Yusuf added that the exercise was also aimed at strengthening transparency and accuracy in national data.
“The message is that we want accurate data so that whether we are doing census or any other exercise, it will be transparent and acceptable. There are reforms now, and we want Nigerians to trust the process,” he said.
On population management, the Director-General of the NPC, Telson Osifo Ojogun, said the commission’s role was primarily data-driven.
“The National Population Commission does not directly manage population; we manage the data that informs how other ministries and stakeholders manage population,” Ojogun explained, noting that sectors such as health and education play decisive roles.
He said educating girls significantly reduces total fertility rates.
“For a young lady who goes to school from about seven to 25 years, the number of children she is likely to give birth to will be reduced. Education has a role to play. What we do is provide the necessary data and coordinate evaluation over the years,” he said.
