Niger State government has concluded plans to vigorously educate citizens on the need to control the number of children they give birth to as a way of managing the harsh economy.
At the moment, Minna, the state capital, records not less than 700 new births monthly in government hospitals.
Wife of the state Governor, Dr Amina Sani Bello, disclosed this after receiving the “Special Envoy on Citizens’ Engagement’ award from the ‘White Ribbon Alliance”, Nigeria chapter of the international organization.
The statistics did not include the number of children born in private or outside government health facilities, Dr. Bello said as she attributed the high birth rate to, “high fertility rate of our people. But I think we have started well to campaign against having too many children”.
She however hinted that not less than 75% of children delivered in the country were at “home” because many people preferred to have their babies at home but for poverty and the need to maintain their dignity and the poor services they get from public health centers.”
The governor’s wife who advised women “not to compromise their safety because they want to have delivery at home,” also lamented the poor number of consultants in the employment of the Niger State government Ministry of Health.
“As at today the state has only nine consultants without a dietician and a physician”, she said, adding that the state government has commenced plan to correct inadequate number of health personnel, particularly doctors.
The governor’s wife, who is also a medical doctor said that there were arrangement on recruitment of not less than 140 medical doctors and nurses, adding that her husband’s administration is considering constructing and equipping at least one Primary Health Centre (PHC) in each of the 274 wards in the state to take health care delivery closer to the people.
The National Coordinator of The White Ribbon Alliance, Mr. Tonte Ibraye, had explained that the governor’s wife was considered for the award because of her contribution to maternal and child healthcare especially through her RAISE Foundation.