Vice President Senator Kashim Shettima has endorsed the Renewed Hope Baby Support (RHBS) programme introduced by the North East Development Commission (NEDC), describing it as a strategic initiative aimed at strengthening child identity registration, healthcare participation, and long-term human capital development in Nigeria.
Speaking on Thursday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, the Vice President said the initiative aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s declaration of 2026 as the Year of the Family and Social Protection. He commended the NEDC for taking practical steps toward implementing the administration’s social protection agenda.
The RHBS programme framework was presented to the Vice President by the NEDC management team led by its Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Mohammed Goni Alkali.
Senator Shettima stated that the programme fits into the North East Stabilization and Development Masterplan, particularly in the areas of building a peaceful society, promoting healthy citizens, and supporting education.
He also urged strong collaboration between the NEDC, the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, and other government agencies to ensure effective implementation and wider impact.
According to the Vice President, the initiative is expected to provide direct support for vulnerable families and children while serving as a key component of the Federal Government’s social protection framework.
He noted that the programme comes at a critical time, adding that it would help cushion the impact of ongoing economic reforms on families in a structured and dignified manner, especially in the North East region.
Shettima further said the RHBS initiative would strengthen the role of the NEDC in delivering the objectives of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
He revealed that the Presidency would unveil more details about the implementation and rollout of the programme on May 27, 2026, during activities marking Children’s Day.
Earlier, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Regional Development and NEDC in the Office of the Vice President, Dr. Mariam Masha, described the RHBS as a national human capital infrastructure initiative focused on integrating children into formal identity and healthcare systems from birth.
Dr. Masha noted that Nigeria records an estimated 7.6 million births annually, but fewer than half of the births are formally registered within the first year, creating major gaps in planning across health, education, and social systems.
She explained that the programme is designed to ensure that every Nigerian child is connected to identity systems, healthcare participation, and future opportunities through a structured national framework.
According to her, the initiative is not merely a welfare programme but a long-term national model for strengthening identity inclusion, healthcare participation, and human capital development.
She added that the infrastructure and political support required for implementation already exist, stressing that effective execution would now determine the programme’s success.
