Presidential Research & Communications Unit

While the debate about what the role of the First Lady should be, bearing in mind that there are no constitutionally defined functions for the office, the fact cannot be denied that the burden of managing a complex country like Nigeria requires all hands to be on deck, especially in relation to social challenges that require the patronage of very visible champions. It was in consideration of these circumstances that Mrs. Turai Umar Musa Yar’adua, wife of the President has sought to champion the course of women and youths empowerment which is often overlooked by the positive figures emanating from other sectors of the economy and society.

Although the First Lady, Hajia Turai Umar Musa Yar’adua is yet to launch her pet project, Women And Youth Empowerment Foundation (WAYEF), one thing she has made consistently clear is the fact that it will not be in contravention of the rule of law which the President has promised to uphold at all times. Sequel to her meetings with many women delegations across the country, a few things stand clear; empowerment of women and youths through health improvement, education empowerment, and socio-economic development, etc. and other issues akin to family poverty have consistently been high on the list of concerns and priorities. But rather than jumping to launch a project without adequate data and a clear implementation strategy, Mrs. Yar’adua is adopting a planned and systematic approach to the issues, including how to generate the resources required without tasking the machinery of state.
Nigerian women and children are endangered species. The increasing deaths could be reduced to the barest minimum if effective and sustainable steps are taken.

According to findings by the United Nations Children’s Fund [UNICEF], infant mortality distribution across the six geo-political zones of the country are; North Central- 103 per 1000 live births. North East -125 per 1000 live births, North West – 114 per 1000 live births, South East 66 per 1000 live births, South South – 120 per 1000 live births and South West – 69 per 1000 live births.

On the other hand, under five mortality in the various geo- political zones of Nigeria are; North Central, 165 per 1000 live births, North East 260 per 1000 live births, North West 269 per 1000 live births, South East 103 per 1000 live births, South South 176 per 1000 live births, and South West 113 per 1000 live births.

Similarly, maternal mortality rate per 100,000 live births in the various zones include the following: South East – 165, South West – 286, North East – 1,025 and North West – 1,549.

More than two-thirds of newborn deaths for, instance, could be prevented by extending the availability and use of existing cost –effective technologies. Nigerian women and children’s lives are endangered going by the above staggering statistics hence the problems could be efface Hajia Turai is determine to lay maternal and infant mortality to rest through her project WAYEF.

Seven years into the 15 years deadline for achieving the Millennium Development Goals, there is no clear evidence that Nigeria has yet achieved any remarkable achievements the First Lady want to make an impact especially the no 4 and 5 of the MDGs which concern women health and children.

An estimated 500,000 women die each year through out the world from complications of pregnancy to childbirth, 55,000 of these deaths occur in Nigeria, which is only two per cent of the global population but accounts for over 10 per cent of the worlds maternal deaths in childbirths, ranking only second to India. With this statistics in mind Hajia Turai said WAYEF will establish partnership with relevant non-governmental organizations, this trend requires the participation of visible characters.

It is against the backdrop of these nebulous circumstances that Mrs. Yar’adua is poised to embark on a project that would compliment government poverty alleviation strategies and health programmes by focusing on poverty at the family level. Since the conditions do not exist to end all types of infant and maternal morbidity, the First Lady’s immediate challenge is to educate the public about the dangers to not only the child and family, but to the entire society about the dangers of family health and its inherent dangers to the country’s development.

The First Lady expressed appreciation over the caliber and integrity of men and women drawn to proffer solution to the country’s maternal and child morbidity problem. Mrs. Yar’adua is determined to deal with this unacceptable situation.

As the nation awaits the unveiling of her project, Hajia Turai advised the wives of state governors and other leaders to base projects in the rural areas where a majority of the poor reside. This is in part aimed at bringing the rural communities into the mainstream and prioritizing government focus to the grassroots. With this, it is expected that a coherent and logical approach to the issue of redressing poverty and improving on the circumstances of family life that result the ugly case of infant and maternal mortality. She says that she can play a role in reducing family poverty and contribute to the emergence of a just society; she would have played her part in project Nigeria.

Maryam Abubakar Gulma is the Information Officer, Office of the First Lady, Presidential Villa, Abuja.

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