The Vice President, Kashim Shettima, has commended the North East Development Commission (NEDC) for launching the Renewed Hope Baby Support (RHBS) programme, a national initiative designed to strengthen child identity registration, healthcare access, and long-term human capital development in Nigeria.
Shettima gave the commendation on Thursday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, when the management of the North East Development Commission, led by its Managing Director and CEO, Mohammed Goni Alkali, presented the implementation framework of the programme.
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, as well as the broader Renewed Hope Agenda.
He praised the NEDC for translating federal policy direction into practical intervention, noting that the RHBS aligns with the North East Stabilization and Development Masterplan, particularly its pillars of peacebuilding, healthcare, and education.
“The RHBS is a very timely and strategic initiative. It sits squarely within the North East Stabilization and Development Masterplan,” Shettima said, adding that the Federal Government expects stronger collaboration between the NEDC, the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, and other relevant agencies to ensure effective delivery.
He described the programme as a “strategic palliative” that would help cushion the impact of ongoing economic reforms while prioritising vulnerable groups, especially women and children.
According to him, the initiative reflects government’s commitment to ensuring that social protection policies directly reach citizens at the grassroots level.
The Vice President also disclosed that a detailed national rollout plan for the RHBS would be further outlined on May 27, 2026, during the Children’s Day commemoration.
Earlier, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Regional Development and NEDC (Office of the Vice President), Dr. Mariam Masha, explained that the RHBS is designed as a structured national human capital infrastructure programme.
She said despite Nigeria recording about 7.6 million births annually, less than half are registered within the first year, leaving millions of children outside formal identity and planning systems.
Dr. Masha noted that the RHBS seeks to integrate children into national systems from birth by linking identity registration, healthcare participation, and long-term developmental opportunities.
She stressed that the initiative goes beyond traditional welfare, describing it as a structured national operating model for identity inclusion and human capital development.
“The necessary infrastructure and political mandate already exist — what is now required is disciplined execution,” she said.
The programme is part of efforts under the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu to strengthen family-centred social protection policies and improve early childhood development outcomes across the country.
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