The Governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has disclosed that the state now ranks as the best place in the country for a child to be born and raised into adulthood.

AbdulRazaq while citing findings from the 2024 National Demographic and Health Survey further disclosed via a post on his X handle which was sighted by Arewa PUNCH on Monday, in Ilorin, that the latest survey from the Federal Ministry of Health placed the state at the top in key child health indicators.

According to him, the report showed that Kwara currently records the lowest under-five mortality rate in Nigeria, with a figure of 14 deaths per 1,000 live births.

AbdulRazaq said the ranking reflected the positive impact of his administration’s sustained investments in primary healthcare across the state.

He said, “Last night, I received the newest Federal Ministry of Health’s survey, which showed that Kwara under our watch as the best state in which a child can be born and raised.

“At 14/1000, the report showed that our state has the lowest under-5 mortality rate in Nigeria,” the governor added, referencing findings from the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey 2024.

While acknowledging the progress made so far, AbdulRazaq assured residents that the government would not relent in improving healthcare delivery, particularly at the grassroots level.

“While this report tells us that our investment in primary health care is a step in the right direction, I assure the people of our state that we will not become complacent. We will do more to make things a lot better,” he said.

AbdulRazaqadded that the state government remains proud of the current standing of Kwara under his administration.

Arewa PUNCH reports that the survey is Nigeria’s Demographic and Health Survey 2024, one of the most comprehensive health and population surveys conducted in the country.

It is coordinated by the National Population Commission with oversight from the Federal Ministry of Health and technical support from international partners.

The survey is carried out periodically (about every five years) to measure key health indicators such as child mortality, maternal health, nutrition, immunisation, fertility, and access to healthcare across the country.