President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has unveiled RenewHER, a Presidential Women’s Health Transformation Initiative, designed to reduce maternal mortality and enhance women’s well-being across Nigeria.
The programme was launched on Thursday night at a Gala and Awards ceremony held at the State House, Abuja, where Vice President Kashim Shettima represented the President. Tinubu described RenewHER as a national priority and “an answer to one of the nation’s most critical prayers.”
In a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communications, Office of the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha, Tinubu said, “There is no greater test of a nation’s character than the care it extends to its women. Maternal health is the heartbeat of every family, the compass of social stability, and the truest index of national welfare.”
He explained that RenewHER would act as “the national engine of collaboration among all stakeholders” to build a healthier Nigeria. A new Presidential Focal Office on Women’s Health will coordinate efforts with the Federal Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Women Affairs, the State-Wide Approach Coordination Office (SWAp), and the Nigeria Governors’ Spouses Forum to ensure women’s health priorities are embedded nationwide.
The President also announced the creation of an AI-powered National Women’s Health Digital Hub to deliver geo-targeted campaigns on maternal survival, adolescent health, preventive care, and healthcare workforce strengthening. The hub will connect women and families to trusted health information while linking healthcare delivery with entrepreneurship and national prosperity.
“Maternal mortality is a shame against which we must all rally. We owe every girl-child not just the eloquent promise of a better tomorrow, but the certainty of a healthier one,” Tinubu said, stressing that RenewHER would complement existing programmes such as the MAMII initiative while engaging international partners.
Prof. Olufolake AbdulRazaq, First Lady of Kwara State and Chairperson of the Nigeria Governors’ Spouses Forum, pledged that the forum would support the initiative in every state, noting that RenewHER demonstrates the administration’s commitment not only to women’s health but also to empowerment.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Women’s Health, Dr. Adanna Steinacker, said the programme was made possible by Tinubu’s vision of placing women’s health at the centre of national priorities, calling on stakeholders to unite as “one movement aimed at renewing Nigeria’s future.”
UN Women Country Representative for Nigeria, Ms. Beatrice Eyong, described the initiative as “a turning point” and a “bold step” by the Nigerian government, noting that it marked the first time women’s health was being elevated to the highest policy level as a driver of socio-economic growth. She assured that the UN would support efforts to expand access for women across the country.
The launch was attended by top dignitaries, including the Chief of Staff to the President, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, governors’ wives, diplomats, and development partners.
