Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa has launched the “Ibi Irorun” Safe Delivery Initiative, with the first phase providing 1,000 pregnancy kits to expectant mothers across the state.
The initiative, launched on Monday, August 24, 2026, at the Basic Healthcare Centre, Arakale, Akure, is designed to make childbirth less financially burdensome for pregnant women and their families while supporting safer deliveries in government health facilities.
The launch marks another intervention by the Ondo State Government aimed at improving access to basic healthcare, particularly for vulnerable residents and pregnant women.
Represented at the event by his Special Adviser on Health, Prof. Simidele Odimayo, Governor Aiyedatiwa said his administration was committed to making quality healthcare more accessible and reducing the amount residents spend from their pockets on medical care.
According to him, more than 300,000 residents have been enrolled in the state’s health insurance scheme, while the government has continued to strengthen primary healthcare services across the state.
The governor said more than 102 primary healthcare centres had been completed and equipped, with another 60 undergoing revitalisation.
He also disclosed that his administration was strengthening facilities at the teaching hospital level, including the provision of a magnetic resonance imaging machine, CT scan equipment, theatre suites and ophthalmic equipment.
“All these are aimed at ensuring that our people are well taken care of and have a good quality of life,” Aiyedatiwa said.
While free delivery services are already available to pregnant women using government health facilities in Ondo State, the new initiative is targeted at another part of the challenge: the cost of basic items required for childbirth.
Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Dr Bosede Osamaye, explained that the first phase of the “Ibi Irorun Safe Delivery Items” contains 13 essential hospital delivery items approved for distribution to pregnant women.
She said the initiative was conceived by the Aiyedatiwa administration to ensure that expectant mothers have essential materials available when they arrive at health facilities for delivery.
“Today the State has started distribution of 1,000 pregnancy kits in the first phase tagged ‘Ibi Irorun Safe Delivery Items’, which contain 13 hospital delivery items as approved by the Governor,” Osamaye said.
She added that the kits would help ease the financial pressure placed on families when preparing for childbirth.
The commissioner also acknowledged the advocacy of the governor’s wife, Mrs Oluwaseun Aiyedatiwa, in promoting free healthcare services for pregnant women in the state.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ondo State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Francis Akanbiemu, said the kits were designed to make the process of preparing for delivery easier.
He explained that beneficiaries would only need to keep the kits and take them along when they were due for delivery.
“Once it is time for delivery, or close to the time of delivery, they can simply carry their bag and go to the health centre or the general hospital nearest to them,” Akanbiemu said.
According to him, the kits contain items such as wrappers, gloves and other essential materials needed for childbirth.
He stressed that women delivering in government health facilities were not required to pay for delivery services, meaning the combination of free delivery and the maternity kits could significantly reduce the financial burden on expectant mothers and their families.
“With these materials fully available, we are sure of safe deliveries, the cry of your baby, and the joy and laughter of the mother and the father,” he said.
More than 500 pregnancy kits were distributed to beneficiaries during the launch, with the remaining kits expected to form part of the broader first-phase distribution across the state.
Two beneficiaries who spoke at the event expressed appreciation to Governor Aiyedatiwa and his wife, saying the initiative would help reduce the financial pressure their families often face when preparing for childbirth.
For many expectant mothers, the significance of the intervention lies not only in receiving a bag of delivery items but in having one less financial worry as they approach childbirth.
Nurse Arinola Adamolekun, while explaining the steps beneficiaries should follow, also urged pregnant women to pay close attention to their health throughout pregnancy.
She advised expectant mothers to eat nutritious meals, including fish, meat and crayfish, get adequate rest and ensure they have sufficient sleep.
She also encouraged women to maintain open communication with their husbands about their wellbeing and other aspects of their relationship during pregnancy.
The Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development commended the health officials, permanent secretaries, directors and other stakeholders whose contributions helped bring the initiative to life.
She specifically acknowledged the Permanent Secretary of the Ondo State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Francis Akanbiemu; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Mr Kayode Kolawole; directors in the ministry and Nurse Arinola Adamolekun, among others.
The launch was attended by government officials, healthcare workers, women leaders, political leaders, traditional market leaders and senior staff of the Primary Healthcare Centre, Arakale.
With the launch of Ibi Irorun, the Ondo State Government is seeking to combine free delivery services with practical support for expectant mothers, with the broader goal of making childbirth safer and more affordable for families across the state.
