On Wednesday, Governor Alex Otti of Abia State inaugurated a new multipurpose hospital, the 100-Bed Mother and Child Centre, in Ugwunabo.
This facility was constructed by the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (OSSAP-SDGs).
Governor Otti expressed his gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for selecting Abia State for this significant project.
He emphasized the state’s commitment to fully utilizing the facility, as part of a broader plan to establish a medical village that will reduce the need for residents to seek medical treatment outside the state.
The governor praised Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals, for her relentless efforts in achieving the SDGs. He also pledged the state’s support for the SDGs’ office and President Tinubu.
Princess Orelope-Adefulire thanked President Tinubu for his leadership and dedication to collaborating with sub-national governments to deliver crucial interventions and accelerate the achievement of the SDGs in Nigeria. She also acknowledged Governor Otti’s strong commitment to the socio-economic transformation of Abia State and their shared goal of achieving the SDGs.
She reiterated the importance of the SDGs as a global call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure peace and prosperity for all by 2030. She emphasized that these goals cannot be achieved through isolated policies and programs but must be integrated into national and sub-national development plans.
In alignment with President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, she stressed the need to prioritize interventions with significant impacts on multidimensional poverty, such as basic healthcare, vocational skills development, and education. Given the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, strategic projects like the Mother and Child Centre have become essential.
Princess Orelope-Adefulire highlighted the state-of-the-art facilities at the 100-Bed Mother and Child Centre, which includes two operating theatres, recovery rooms, private and general wards, a scanning room, consultation rooms, and a laboratory. The centre also features an ultra-scan machine, a vacuum extractor delivery set, and a fully equipped emergency cart. This facility directly supports SDG-3, which focuses on quality health and well-being for all, as well as other related SDGs.
She emphasized that OSSAP-SDGs has dedicated significant effort to constructing and furnishing this facility as a crucial tool for healthcare service provision in the state. She urged state and local governments to use the facility sustainably for the benefit of mothers and children.
In conclusion, she called for the Mother and Child Centre to become a symbol of hope and a testament to collective dedication to building healthier and more prosperous communities. Investing in maternal and child health is investing in the foundation of society’s well-being. She reaffirmed the commitment to achieving the SDGs by 2030 and prioritizing interventions that impact the lives of the poor and vulnerable, ensuring no Nigerian is left behind.
The OSSAP-SDGs also organized a sensitization and advocacy program for key stakeholders in the state, emphasizing the current period as a Decade of Action for accelerating the SDGs.
