From: Femi Mustapha in Kaduna
The Jennifer Etuh Foundation (JEF) says it has provided healthcare, education, and economic empowerment to underserved communities across Nigeria, reaching over 97,724 patients through 236,557 interventions in 24 medical outreaches.
Established in 2020 in memory of late Mrs. Jennifer Ramatu Etuh, the foundation says its mission is rooted in her legacy of love for God, passion for empowering women, and commitment to community service.
“It stemmed from the need to ensure that healthcare is accessible to people in hard-to-reach areas like this,” said Joe Otu, Program Manager of Jennifer Etuh Foundation, during a medical outreach at the Jennifer Etuh Specialist Hospital, Mallagum, Kaura Local Government, Kaduna State today.
According to Otu, the late Mrs. Etuh had instructed that hospitals be set up across the country. In fulfillment of that, JEF established six state-of-the-art medical facilities, one in each of Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
The hospitals are located in Odu-Ogboyaga, Kogi State; Mallagum-Kagoro, Kaduna State; Ifewara, Osun State; Ochon, Cross River State; Tula, Gombe State; and Umunoha, Imo State.
“We have one here in Kagoro, which is her hometown. We have another in Kogi, where my boss, Mr. Thomas Etuh, is from.
“We also have one in Gombe, Cross River, Imo, and Osun,” Ntu explained. *“And they are not in cities or towns, but in hard-to-reach locations where we can reach the underserved.”
The Foundation said this year’s outreaches have already extended beyond the six hospital locations to places like Takum in Taraba, and planned outreaches in Akwa Ibom and Nasarawa. “Close to 40,000 interventions have been carried out for almost 15,000 people just this year,” Otu added.
At the ongoing five-day outreach in Mallagum, which began on August 17 and runs till August 21, more than 600 patients were attended to on the first day alone.
Joy Audu, Project Coordinator and volunteer with Pro-Health International, said the team is seeing high cases of hypertension, diabetes, peptic ulcer, infections, and surgical conditions.
“As of yesterday, we saw over 450 cases, and today we are aiming for 500 to 600 because of the crowd. We’ve seen blood pressure readings of 230 over 120, even in people as young as 30 and 40 years old,” she said.
Audu attributed many of the cases to ignorance, misinformation, and patronage of quacks. “Some people were placed on blood pressure medication but stopped because someone told them it would kill them. Others buy drugs from village nurses with no labels for ₦30,000, even though they can’t afford ₦5,000 to go to a proper hospital,” she lamented.
She called on government and religious leaders to intensify health awareness in rural communities. “Doctors are not witches. We pray first, then we serve humanity. We need more primary healthcare centers and support for medical teams who volunteer for this work,” Audu said.
Beyond health, JEF is also running a 3-year Kaduna Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) Program targeting 3,000 beneficiaries.
In Phase 1 (2024), 410 women in the Jama’a and Kaura LGAs were trained in tailoring, cosmetology, hairdressing, bag-making, shoe-making, and catering. An additional 670 women were trained in vertical sack farming, resulting in a 97% increase in yields of tomatoes, peppers, and other vegetables.
Phase 2 (2025) focused on Zaria and Makarfi LGAs, with 400 beneficiaries in skills acquisition and 600 in sack farming. For the first time, 10% of slots were opened to men.
Phase 3 (2026) is ongoing in Chikun and Kaduna South LGAs, training 400 women in skills and 600 in sack farming. Beneficiaries receive seeds, cocoa peat, seeding trays, pesticides, and herbicides, along with practical training on demo farms.
Christiana Afolayan, Program Officer at JEF, said all services at the outreach are free, including consultations, surgeries, and medications.
“We have dental care, eye surgery, general surgeries for hernia, fibroid, and goiter, laboratory tests, health promotion with mosquito nets, infant formula, soap, and menstrual hygiene education with free sanitary pads,” she said.
“We also provide free vaccines, including HPV, DPT, and Zero-Dose immunization to address gaps in Northern Nigeria.”
Afolayan noted that while the Foundation’s primary focus is women, girls, and young children, outreach is open to everyone. “You’re seeing men come in for hernia surgeries. We don’t restrict it,” she said.
Beneficiaries expressed gratitude. Mutua Joseph from Bondon Community, Kaura LGA, who underwent surgery for a cheek fibroma, said the treatment would have cost over ₦150,000 in a private hospital.
“I want to thank this foundation. I pray God gives them more wisdom. Mrs Jennifer, though she is late, may God continue to bless her,” he said.
The Jennifer Etuh Foundation said it will continue to provide scholarships from primary school to university level and expand its health and economic programs to more communities across Nigeria.