Korede Abdullah 
LAGOS, Nigeria – The First Lady of Lagos State, Dr Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, leads a goodwill tour of public hospitals to welcome the First Babies of the Year 2026, reaffirming the state’s commitment to maternal and child health.
The visit, conducted on Thursday, covers Ibeju-Lekki, Imota and Gbagada General Hospitals, where newborns delivered within the first hours of the new year are celebrated.
Baby Oluwadare, a 2.9kg male, arrives exactly at midnight at Ibeju-Lekki General Hospital to become Lagos State’s symbolic first baby of 2026. At Imota General Hospital, Baby Adegeye-Abiodun, weighing 3.45kg, is delivered at 2:45 a.m., while Baby Daramola, a 3.45kg female, is born at midnight at Gbagada General Hospital.
Describing the initiative as a 26-year-old tradition that blends celebration with public health advocacy, Sanwo-Olu says the coincidence of a new year and new life symbolises collective responsibility.
“The New Year is always a season of renewed hope, and these same emotions surround the birth of a new child,” she says, stressing that safe deliveries depend on skilled care and sustained healthcare investment.
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