By || Goodluck E. Adubazi || Abuja
The First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has boosted grassroots healthcare delivery with the donation of three state-of-the-art mobile clinics—two to the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and one to the Taraba State Government.
The donation, made under the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) Health Support Programme, was formally presented at a ceremony held on Monday at the Nigerian Customs Service Headquarters in Maitama, Abuja.
Speaking at the event, Senator Tinubu praised corps members for their frontline role in driving NYSC health interventions across rural communities. She noted that the mobile clinics would significantly strengthen the Scheme’s medical outreaches, particularly its Health Initiative for Rural Dwellers (HIRD).
According to the First Lady, her visit to Taraba State in 2024 inspired the donation of a mobile clinic to the state government to complement its efforts in improving healthcare delivery.
She stressed the importance of inclusive governance, saying the dividends of democracy must reach Nigerians regardless of ethnic, political or other affiliations.
Describing the mobile clinics as “love on wheels,” Senator Tinubu said they represent care in motion—designed to take healthcare beyond hospital walls, improve access, shorten response time and provide flexible, reliable services, especially during emergencies and in underserved areas.
In his remarks, the Director-General of the NYSC, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, described the gesture as a timely and strategic intervention that would significantly expand the reach of the HIRD programme.
In a statement issued by the Director of Information and Public Relations, Caroline Embu, the NYSC DG said the Renewed Hope Initiative’s philosophy—anchored on the belief that health is a right, not a privilege—aligns seamlessly with the NYSC’s mandate to deliver free healthcare to vulnerable communities.
General Nafiu disclosed that since the launch of HIRD in 2014, NYSC medical personnel have provided free primary healthcare, maternal services, malaria testing, health education and disease prevention campaigns to over four million Nigerians nationwide, with an average of about 360,000 beneficiaries annually.
He added that in 2025 alone, more than 6,300 corps medical personnel, including over 2,300 doctors, were deployed to remote areas to improve access to healthcare.
According to him, the newly donated mobile clinics will greatly enhance operational capacity, enabling the NYSC to reach more communities simultaneously and attend to tens of thousands of additional beneficiaries.
“What has been done today has renewed the hope of millions of Nigerians,” General Nafiu said, describing the donation not only as support but also as a challenge to the Scheme to deepen its impact in extending government presence and quality healthcare to those most in need.
He assured that the mobile clinics would be efficiently utilised to ensure measurable impact across rural Nigeria.
Also speaking at the event, the Governor of Taraba State, Dr Agbu Kefas, expressed appreciation to Senator Tinubu for the donation and reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to improving the welfare and healthcare of the people of the state.
