President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has unveiled RenewHER, a landmark presidential initiative aimed at transforming women’s health in Nigeria, with a strong focus on reducing maternal mortality and improving overall well-being for women and girls across the country.
The initiative was officially launched on Thursday night at a gala and awards ceremony held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. Represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, President Tinubu described RenewHER as a national priority and a key step toward building a healthier Nigeria.
“There is no greater test of a nation’s character than the care it extends to its women,” President Tinubu said. “Maternal health is the heartbeat of every family, the compass of social stability, and the truest index of national welfare.”
He emphasized that RenewHER will serve as a nationwide engine of collaboration among key stakeholders in the healthcare, women’s affairs, and development sectors.
A Presidential Focal Office on Women’s Health will be established to coordinate efforts across ministries and state governments, working closely with the Federal Ministry of Health, the State-Wide Approach Coordination Office (SWAp), the Ministry of Women Affairs, and the Nigeria Governors’ Spouses Forum.
As part of the initiative, the government also announced the creation of an AI Powered National Women’s Health Digital Hub, which will deliver targeted health campaigns on maternal survival, adolescent health, and preventive care. The digital platform aims to connect women with trusted health resources while linking healthcare to entrepreneurship and national development.
“Maternal mortality is a shame against which we must all rally,” Tinubu added. “We owe every girl-child not just the eloquent promise of a better tomorrow, but the certainty of a healthier one.”
The RenewHER initiative will complement existing national programs such as the Maternal, Adolescent and Child Health and Nutrition (MAMII) initiative, and align with global development partners, including the United Nations.
In her remarks, Prof. Olufolake AbdulRazaq, First Lady of Kwara State and Chairperson of the Nigeria Governors’ Spouses Forum, hailed RenewHER as a powerful demonstration of the Tinubu administration’s commitment to women’s empowerment.
She pledged that the forum would work closely with state governments, the private sector, and other partners to implement the initiative across all 36 states.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Women’s Health, Dr. Adanna Steinacker, who spearheaded the initiative, praised the President’s leadership and called on stakeholders to unite as a movement for change. “RenewHER would not have been possible without President Tinubu’s vision that places women’s health at the forefront of national priorities,” she said.
United Nations Women Country Representative to Nigeria, Ms. Beatrice Eyong, described RenewHER as a “bold and historic” step. “This marks the first time women’s health is being addressed at the highest level of government in Nigeria,” she noted. “It gives a new narrative where women’s health is seen as a driver of socio-economic growth.”