Lagos Firstlady Offers Multiple-Birth Families Hope With ‘Jumejilo’

Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, the wife of the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has launched an initiative, Jumejilo Multi-birth Assistance Programme (JMAP) to lessen the burden associated with multiple-birth for indigent families in the state.

The social health initiative was launched at the Alausa office of the First Lady on Tuesday.

Dr. Sanwo-Olu noted that the initiative, which was birthed in 2021, will support qualified multiple-birth families for two years and also offer seed money as empowerment to the families.

According to the First Lady, the programme will run in partnership with the Ministries of Wealth Creation and Employment; Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, as well as Youth and Social Development.

Speaking at the event, Dr. Sanwo-Olu said, “As a Mother, Medical Doctor of over three decades, and First Lady, I have seen limitless cases of families with multiple births suffering untold hardship. In most cases, women and children are at the receiving end.

“Let me confess that the JMAP Programme is extremely dear to me. It is a comprehensive care initiative to expand access to quality healthcare for low-income families with multiple births and create sustainable socio-economic paths for potential beneficiaries from the gestational to the postnatal period.

“The JMAP intervention is about complementing the output of other existing initiatives and support systems in the Lagos State health sector for HOM parents. We are specifically rolling out the JMAP Programme to alleviate medical complications, mortalities, and disorders associated with multiple births, which include premature delivery, preeclampsia, and irregular foetal growth, among others.

“For me, this intervention is about putting forward pragmatic support to save lives and create a better future for all in line with the policy thrust of the administration of Mr Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu as highlighted in the THEMES Agenda which has now been upgraded to THEMES+ with the incorporation of an intensified focus on social inclusion, Gender Equality and Youth.”

The initiative gave Mr. and Mrs Uwaoma Odili with quadruplets a cheque of N1 million, while  Mr and Mrs. Tunde Ilufuoye with triplets left the event with a N750,000 cheque, well as baby products to support the upbringing of their children.

On her part, the Wife of the Deputy Governor, Mrs. Oluremi Hamzat, commended the First Lady for her efforts and added that the initiative will complement existing projects by the state government to help reduce the challenges faced by multiple-birth families.

“Given the extensive evidence that twins and other multiple births worldwide are associated with a substantially higher risk of maternal and perinatal mortality and morbidity, this initiative will further strengthen the window of opportunities and would be of immense assistance to multiple birth parents”, she said.

The Programme Manager, Mrs. Titi Oshodi, who gave detailed information on how the initiative works clarified that it is not premised on financial assistance but a mental and emotional education and support throughout the gestational period and birth.

On the criteria needed to benefit from the initiative, the Programme Manager said the pregnant woman must reside in Lagos with proof of address, and not more than 60 years old.

Additionally, the beneficiary must not have accessed Invitro fertilization, or IVF, while the family’s annual income should not be more than N250,000.