New Year’s Dawn Brings New Hope: Katsina State Celebrates First Babies, Reaffirms Pledge to Mothers and Children

New Year’s Dawn Brings New Hope: Katsina State Celebrates First Babies, Reaffirms Pledge to Mothers and Children

By: Zainab Tanimu, Kaduna Northwest Nigeria

In the quiet, early hours of New Year’s Day 2026, as Katsina State slept, two newborns drew their first breaths. Baby Sumayya Abubakar arrived at General Hospital at 12:02 a.m., soon followed by a baby boy at the Turai Yar’Adua Children and Maternity Hospital.

By sunrise, these first babies of the year had become symbols of a renewed promise. Led by the Honourable Commissioner for Women Affairs, Hajiya Aisha Aminu Malumfashi, a delegation representing the wife of the Governor, Hajiya Zulaihat Dikko Radda, visited the hospitals to welcome the infants and their mothers.

“This tradition goes beyond celebration,” stated Commissioner Malumfashi, cradling a newborn. “It reflects our administration’s commitment to safe delivery, quality healthcare and the dignity of every mother and child in Katsina State.”

The visit was a blend of personal warmth and official policy. The Commissioner presented the joyful families with cash gifts and essential baby supplies, toured maternity wards, and offered prayers for other patients. But the cuddles and congratulations were underscored by a firm governmental message.

Malumfashi reiterated the Radda administration’s focus on cutting maternal and infant mortality by strengthening hospitals, supporting health workers, and expanding critical programs for immunization, nutrition, and child welfare.

“We will ensure that every pregnant woman and child has access to quality medical services,” she pledged, urging mothers to embrace antenatal care, immunization, and exclusive breastfeeding.

For the mothers, the visit was a powerful gesture. “We are truly grateful,” said one, holding her new gifts. “The visit, the encouragement—it gives us confidence that the government cares. We pray Allah rewards the Governor and his wife for remembering us today.”

As senior officials, nurses, and family members looked on, the celebration of two tiny lives became a living testament to the state’s reaffirmed vow: to protect its most vulnerable and build a healthier future, starting from the very first breaths of the new year.