In July, the Deputy Governor of Sokoto State, His Excellency Idris Mohammaed Gobir, and the Executive Secretary of the Sokoto State Primary Health Care Development Agency (SPHCDA), Dr. Larai Aliyu Tambuwal, and New Incentives All Babies Are Equal (NI-ABAE) launched the Livelihood Grant program addition in Sokoto. The launch took place at the Arkilla Primary Health Care Center, marking the immediate implementation of an additional ₦5,000 grant given to caregivers upon completion of the RI schedule across all 376 operating clinics in 18 Local Government Areas of the state. This addition, which supplements the ₦1,000 incentives given at each of six vaccination visits, aims to increase immunization and retention rates while supporting caregivers with living expenses.

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The Deputy Governor, who distributed the livelihood grant to three eligible caregivers at the event, thanked New Incentives for this innovative program addition that will encourage increased vaccination uptake in the state. He also charged caregivers to avoid defaulting on immunization and benefit from all the incentives they can receive during each vaccination visit. 

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Dr. Larai expressed her heartfelt thanks to NI-ABAE for the support provided to Sokoto State. She said that the All Babies program is a source of immense pride for the state due to its significant and positive impact.

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“In the past, whenever we attended national and sub-national meetings, Sokoto State faced criticism for our poor indicators, especially in routine immunization. However, New Incentives has played a crucial role in changing that narrative and alleviating our concerns.By providing incentives to women, New Incentives has successfully created a demand for immunization. New Incentives are indeed silent achievers. When I spoke with them at the EOC, I learned that they go beyond just giving incentives to caregivers. They support healthcare service providers with transportation funds and necessary items for their work. They conduct social mobilization in hard-to-reach and underserved communities, raising awareness and encouraging people to seek immunization proactively.” - Dr. Larai Aliyu Tambuwal