The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has unveiled two new health initiatives to mark Nigeria’s 65th Independence Anniversary – the free distribution of Mother–Baby Kits and the Abuja Breathe Fresh Air Project.

The programmes were launched at Asokoro District Hospital in Abuja by the FCT Minister of State, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud.

Dr. Mahmoud explained that the initiatives aim to protect mothers and newborns during childbirth while also tackling household air pollution.

According to her, the projects represent “a holistic vision of health” that balances immediate healthcare needs with long-term environmental safety.

She said the Mother–Baby Kits include essential medical supplies that will help women deliver safely and support the care of newborns.

“No woman should face childbirth without the tools and support she needs, and no child should begin life without adequate care. These kits reflect our deep commitment to maternal and child health and to ensuring that every mother and baby are given the best start possible,” Mahmoud said.

On the Abuja Breathe Fresh Air Project, she described it as “a bold, forward-looking initiative” to reduce indoor air pollution.

The project will replace firewood, charcoal, and kerosene with clean Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cookers in vulnerable households. Mahmoud stressed that this would help fight respiratory diseases caused by smoke inhalation, calling indoor pollution “one of the silent but deadly health risks in homes.”

The minister added that these programmes are part of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which has also strengthened the FCTA’s health sector through better working conditions, training, hospital renovations, and the establishment of a Public Health Emergency Operations Centre.

She called on Nigerians to use the independence anniversary to “recommit themselves to building an FCT where every home is healthier, every birth is safer, and every breath is cleaner.”

Also speaking, the Mandate Secretary of the FCT Health Services and Environment Secretariat, Dr. Adedolapo Fasawe, highlighted the country’s high rates of maternal and infant deaths. She said:

“One major reason for these preventable deaths is the lack of access to clean, safe, and essential supplies during delivery. The Renewed Hope Mother-Baby Kit initiative is designed to bridge that gap. Each kit contains basic but critical items needed to ensure a hygienic and safe delivery both for the mother and the child.”

She reaffirmed the administration’s commitment under FCT Minister Nyesom Wike to invest in health programmes that directly impact rural communities.

At the event, pregnant women received free Mother–Baby Kits and cooking gas.

Some of the dignitaries present included Adedayo Benjamin Laniyi, Mandate Secretary for Women Affairs; Dr. Baba-Gana Adams, Permanent Secretary of Health Services and Environment Secretariat; Abubakar Ahmadu, acting Director-General of the FCT Hospital Management Board; and Hajiya Rakiyya Wamako, acting Executive Secretary of Primary Health Care Development.

Nigeria at 65: FCTA launches two key health programmes for mothers, families