In July, the Deputy Governor of Kebbi State, His Excellency Senator Umar Abubakar Tafita, along with New Incentives All Babies Are Equal (NI-ABAE), launched the All Babies Livelihood Grant program addition. The launch took place at the Maternal and Child Clinic Hospital (MCH) in Argungu Local Government and marked the immediate implementation of the ₦5,000 grant given to caregivers upon completion of the RI schedule across all 514 operating clinics in the 17 Local Government Areas of the state. This addition aims to increase immunization and retention rates while supporting caregivers with living expenses.

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In his keynote speech, the Deputy Governor stated, “I’m happy to note that since its inception in 2017 in Katsina, Zamfara, and Jigawa States, the All Babies program has expanded to additional states in Nigeria with significant impact. The health and well-being of our people have always been a top priority for our administration. I assure you of the state government's renewed commitment to supporting the All Babies Are Equal (ABAE) Program and all healthcare-related activities across the state for effective service delivery through our Primary Health Care Centers (PHCs).”

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The ₦5,000 Livelihood Grant will be given to caregivers upon verifying the completion of the full RI schedule for their infants, bringing the total incentive amount to ₦11,000 per enrolled infant. Currently, Kebbi State has a 62% Measles 2 retention rate, meaning that only six out of 10 infants enrolled in the All Babies program have completed the last RI visit. This Livelihood Grant aims to increase retention rates toward a goal of 90% in each operating state.

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The launch in Argungu was attended by the Sarkin (Emir) Kaban Argungu, Alhaji Samaila Muhammad Mera, district heads, and other traditional and community leaders. In his remarks, the Emir expressed gratitude to the All Babies program for its continued support of vaccination in Kebbi State.

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“We are grateful to Allah for the additional support given to parents to ensure that every child receives all the approved vaccines to protect them from diseases,” the Emir said.

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He also emphasized how important it was for state partners to assess the program's legitimacy before agreeing to participate.

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“As representatives of the people, we were cautious about what we were getting into. We insisted on verification from all relevant authorities, including the federal government, before incorporating this initiative into our healthcare programs. The organization complied with all our requests. We received approval from the federal government and all relevant authorities, and then this initiative was incorporated into our healthcare programs in our state.” The Emir prayed that citizens would continue to support the program for continued impact.

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Aisha Abubakar, a caregiver who received the first ₦5,000 Livelihood Grant at the launch, shared her experience, saying the ₦1,000 incentives she received in the past five visits had eased her transport to and from the health clinic for her infant's immunization. She said she’ll make sure she puts the ₦5,000 to good use and will continue to encourage other caregivers to vaccinate their children.

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The event was attended by representatives of the Executive Secretary, Kebbi State Primary Health Care Development Agency, and development partners from WHO, Medicated Cancer Foundation, McKinsey, and others who expressed their support for the Livelihood Grant and the All Babies program in the state.