The Nigerian Government has welcomed the First Baby of the Year 2026 born at the National Hospital, Abuja with a renewed commitment to maternal, newborn, and child health .
Speaking as the Special envoy of the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim described the initiative as a deliberate intervention to prioritise neonatal and maternal health.
“First of all, I would like to start by wishing us all a happy new year and also to thank Her Excellency the First Lady for this gesture. This is an annual gesture so that we can prioritise neonatal and maternal health in Nigeria,” she said.
The Minister while appreciating the support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, acknowledged progress in reducing maternal and newborn mortality.
“It was one of the countries with the highest, but over the years we have seen significant decrease, particularly in the last one year,’ she said.
Delivering a New Year message inspired by the First Lady, the Minister urged Nigerians to embrace compassion and unity.
“We have to show love, we have to learn to share this year, we have to learn to sow the seed and scatter the seeds so that we can reap whatever we sow.
“Once again, happy new year and congratulations to the families of the babies of the year,” she said.
The father of the First Baby of the Year 2026, At the National Hospital, Abuja, Mr Idota Emmanuel, expressed profound joy and gratitude for the support extended to his family.
“I am so happy. I do not even know how to express how grateful I am,” he said, describing the experience as overwhelming. “I think this is the hand of God,” he said.
Describing the reception accorded his family, Mr Emmanuel said, “I arrived with my baby, the ministers and all the gifts. I am so overwhelmed with joy and I want to give God all the glory.”
He also offered prayers for the First Lady and the Minister, saying, “her purse will never run dry. She will continue to be there for us and God Almighty will continue to protect her and her family. She will never lack and her level of generosity will keep increasing day and night. And the purse that they get that money from will never run dry in Jesus mighty name.Amen.”
He announced that his child would be named Zion Idota Emmanuel.
High point of the event was the presentation of Baby gift items and cash to support the new born baby.
The Minister also took a tour of other wards in the spirit of the celebration where she defrayed the cost of treatment for some indigent patients, babies in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and gifted cash to other new born babies.
The First Baby of the Year Reception is an annual initiative of the Office of the First Lady, introduced in 2012, to formally identify and celebrate the first baby delivered in a recognised medical facility within the Federal Capital Territory on 1 January.
The programme serves as a symbolic national reminder of the value placed on life, hope, and the wellbeing of Nigerian children.
Beyond celebration, the First Baby of the Year initiative promotes awareness on antenatal and postnatal care, skilled birth attendance, sanitation and hygiene, birth registration, routine immunisation, exclusive breastfeeding, nutrition, and healthy child spacing.
To ensure transparency, officials of the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development and the Federal Capital Territory Administration monitor deliveries from midnight across designated hospitals, with verified reports collated centrally before the First Baby of the Year is confirmed and formally announced.
Twelve public and private health facilities across the Federal Capital Territory are participating in the 2026 exercise, reinforcing government’s sustained commitment to safeguarding the health and future of Nigerian mothers and children.