AZARE, Nigeria – A set of quadruplets has been successfully delivered at a teaching hospital in Bauchi State, northern Nigeria, under a federal government programme designed to provide free emergency care for pregnant women.
The two boys and two girls were born via Caesarean section on 18 September at the Federal University of Health Sciences Teaching Hospital in Azare.
Their mother, 35-year-old Hauwa Usman, was initially diagnosed with triplets, according to a statement from the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA).
The delivery was part of the Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Neonatal Care (CEmONC) programme, which offers free life-saving services to economically disadvantaged women.
‘A life-saving programme’
The NHIA’s Director-General, Dr Kelechi Ohiri, congratulated the hospital staff and the family. He said the initiative aims to reduce maternal mortality and protect families from “catastrophic” medical bills.
“CEmONC is a life-saving emergency care programme for women and newborns in underserved areas,” Dr Ohiri said.
He noted that the prompt action of the babies’ father, Abubakar Adamu, who brought his wife from Gambaki village, 35km away, was crucial in saving the lives of the mother and her newborns.
The CEmONC programme was launched in August 2024. Official data shows that by January 2025, the government had disbursed approximately 87 million naira (£47,000; $60,000) to cover costs for 2,819 women across the country.
Appeal for support
Hospital management said 422 women have benefited from the scheme at the Azare facility alone, but this was the first set of quadruplets delivered under the programme.
While the medical costs were covered, the head of the hospital’s obstetrics department, Dr Achanpa Sunday, appealed to the government and the local community for ongoing social support for the family.
The father, Mr Adamu, a subsistence farmer, expressed his joy at the birth but also appealed for financial assistance to help care for his newly expanded family.
The NHIA has urged other families struggling with healthcare costs to make use of the free services available at designated hospitals nationwide.
