By Nkechi Eze
Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has provided two fully equipped mobile medical clinics to the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) as part of efforts to deepen access to healthcare in rural and underserved communities. In addition, one mobile clinic was handed over to the Taraba State Government to further strengthen healthcare delivery in the state.
The donation, made under the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) Health Support Programme, was unveiled during a presentation ceremony held at the Nigerian Customs Service Headquarters in Maitama, Abuja, the NYSC disclosed in a statement signed by its Director of Information and Public Relations, Caroline Embu.
Addressing participants at the event, the First Lady praised corps members for consistently driving the success of the Scheme’s health interventions across the country. She noted that the newly provided mobile clinics would significantly boost the capacity of NYSC medical teams, particularly in executing medical outreaches under the Health Initiative for Rural Dwellers (HIRD).
Senator Tinubu explained that her earlier visit to Taraba State in 2025 revealed gaps in healthcare access in some communities, which informed the decision to donate a mobile clinic to the state as a way of supporting government efforts in improving health services.
She emphasised that meaningful governance must translate into tangible benefits for citizens, stressing that quality healthcare should reach Nigerians without discrimination.
According to her, the mobile clinics symbolise “love on wheels,” a concept aimed at taking healthcare beyond conventional hospital settings, reducing response time, improving access, and ensuring that professional medical services reach vulnerable populations, especially during emergencies.
In his remarks, the Director-General of the NYSC, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, described the intervention as both timely and impactful, noting that it would greatly expand the reach of the HIRD programme.
He said the guiding principle of the Renewed Hope Initiative — that health is a fundamental right and not a privilege — mirrors the NYSC’s long-standing commitment to delivering free medical services to communities that lack adequate healthcare facilities.
General Nafiu revealed that since the introduction of HIRD in 2014, NYSC medical personnel have delivered free primary healthcare services, maternal and child health care, malaria testing, health awareness campaigns and disease prevention services to over four million Nigerians nationwide, with an estimated average of 360,000 beneficiaries each year.
He further disclosed that more than 6,300 corps medical personnel, including over 2,300 doctors, were deployed to rural and hard-to-reach areas in 2025 alone.
According to him, the addition of the two mobile clinics will enable the Scheme to cover more locations simultaneously and attend to tens of thousands of extra beneficiaries.
“This intervention has rekindled hope for countless Nigerians,” he said, assuring that the clinics would be put to effective use and would deliver measurable impact.
The Taraba State Governor, Dr Agbu Kefas, also expressed appreciation to the First Lady, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to improving the living conditions and wellbeing of residents of the state.
