(Rotimi Amaechi. Photo by Guardian Nigerian News)
Rotimi Amaechi, the African Democratic Congress presidential running mate, said he paid pregnant women N10,000 each to attend antenatal care when he was Rivers State governor.
He used the money to encourage women to seek healthcare because Rivers ranked second worst on the maternal-child mortality index during his time in office.
Amaechi governed from October 2007 until May 2015, serving two terms after a Supreme Court ruling put him in office.
Speaking at the Her Health, Her Power Conference Africa 2026 in Abuja on Tuesday, he stressed the link between women’s health and economic growth.
He said politicians must do more to keep women healthy by building hospitals and hiring doctors in villages.
He established health centres in every village across the state and employed doctors and nurses, then paid women N10,000 for attending antenatal visits.
The incentive worked. Health centres were packed every Friday because women knew they would leave with the money.
Amaechi noted that while the payment looked like cash handouts, it represented economic stimulus.
He argued that women’s health cannot be separated from economic growth.
He also emphasised the need for female education and better-paying jobs for women, since 40 percent work in farming.
He pointed out that educated women become better leaders and that politicians must prioritise women’s welfare across security, jobs, healthcare and infrastructure.