Shettima Backs NEDC Baby Support Scheme For Child Development

Vice President Kashim Shettima has thrown his weight behind the Renewed Hope Baby Support (RHBS) programme, a human capital development initiative of the North East Development Commission (NEDC), describing it as a strategic intervention to strengthen identity inclusion, healthcare access and long-term opportunity pathways for Nigerian children.

Shettima said the initiative aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s declaration of 2026 as the “Year of the Family and Social Protection,” adding that the NEDC has demonstrated early alignment with the administration’s social policy direction.

According to a statement by his spokesman, Stanley Nkwocha, Shettima made the remarks on Thursday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, when the NEDC management team, led by its Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Mohammed Goni Alkali, presented the RHBS execution framework.

“As you are aware, Mr. President has declared 2026 as the Year of the Family and Social Protection, with clear directives for implementation across all levels of government. I commend the NEDC for taking proactive steps to translate this vision into concrete action, particularly through the Renewed Hope Baby Support (RHBS) programme,” he stated.

Shettima described the RHBS as “a very timely and strategic initiative,” noting that it aligns with the North East Stabilisation and Development Masterplan.

“The RHBS is a very timely and strategic initiative. It sits squarely within the North East Stabilisation and Development Masterplan, aligning perfectly with its three critical pillars: peaceful society, healthy citizens, and an educated populace,” he stated.

The Vice President called for stronger institutional coordination to ensure effective implementation across relevant agencies.

“Seamless collaboration between the NEDC, the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, and other relevant agencies to ensure the RHBS achieves maximum impact,” he demanded.

He said the programme would directly target Nigeria’s most vulnerable populations while strengthening the administration’s broader social protection agenda.

“By focusing on children and families, the RHBS programme will deliver direct impact on the most vulnerable Nigerians, while serving as an effective execution mechanism for Mr. President’s social protection mandate,” he said.

Describing the timing of the initiative as “auspicious,” Shettima said it could help cushion the effects of ongoing economic reforms.

“The RHBS will serve as a strategic palliative that cushions the effects of necessary economic reforms in a dignified and structured manner,” he noted.

“It demonstrates that while we implement difficult but essential policies, we remain deeply committed to the welfare of our people — especially the women and children of the North East,” he added.

He further said the RHBS would reinforce the role of the NEDC within the Renewed Hope Agenda.

“This is the kind of focused, results-oriented intervention we expect from our Regional Development Commissions,” he said.

Shettima disclosed that the Presidency would provide further details on the rollout strategy on May 27, 2026, during the commemoration of Children’s Day.

Earlier, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Regional Development and NEDC (Office of the Vice President), Dr. Mariam Masha, said the RHBS is designed as a national human capital infrastructure programme rather than a traditional welfare scheme.

She noted that Nigeria records about 7.6 million births annually, but fewer than half are formally registered within the first year, leaving millions of children outside formal systems of planning and service delivery.

“RHBS is positioned as a structured national programme, not a traditional welfare intervention. It uses milestone-linked support to connect children from birth to formal systems of identity, health, and opportunity,” she said.

“The programme serves as the operational mechanism to translate the President’s directive placing Nigerian families at the centre of governance into measurable outcomes, with a strong focus on early childhood development,” she added.

Dr. Masha stressed that the initiative is not a conventional social intervention but a governance framework for long-term human capital development.

“RHBS is not a social intervention but a structured national operating model for identity inclusion, developmental health participation, and long-term human capital development,” she said.

“The necessary infrastructure and political mandate already exist — what is now required is disciplined execution,” she stated.