Wale Jagun & Mariam Akinloye
Nurse Ololade Esther, a health worker with the Lagos State Health Service Commission, and staff of the General Hospital Ikorodu, delivered a baby boy at 12:13am on Thursday, January 1, 2026, to emerged as the mother of the first baby of the year in Ikorodu.
The mother and the new baby were presented with gifts by His Royal Majesty, Oba (Dr.) Kabir Shotobi, the Ayangbure of Ikorodu, the management of the General Hospital Ikorodu led by the Medical Director/Chief Executive Officer, Dr Taiwo Hassan, Danbaba Foundation and the Rotary Club among others.
The second baby was delivered at 3:02am by Mrs Shittu Oluwatofunmi, while Mrs Olubunmi Oluwadamilola Olofinwa delivered the third baby at 3:45am.
Speaking with the reporters, Mr Fatai Olarewaju Ibrahim, father of the first baby of the year, who is a lecture and pastor in Lagos, expressed his appreciation to God and thanked the royal father and others for their kind gestures.
“As the father of the first baby of the year, I am very grateful to God. I am happy and excited because it is a blessing indeed. This was not planned for, but when it came, it becomes a joy in a new year.
“I want to appreciate the kabiyesi for this kind gesture, and others that also brought gifts. We cannot thank them enough. May he live long and have more to give”.
The mother of the second baby, also speaking, said: “I feel good and grateful to God for giving me a baby boy”.
Mr Funsho Olofinwa, father of the third baby, described the new baby as a blessing.
“This is a special blessing from God. I am more than happy, because today is also a special day and a special gift from God. So, l am exceedingly happy.
“It is a female child, and I have never had a female child before, because all my children are boys. I am very happy having a female child this time around”, he declared.
The Medical Director, Dr Taiwo Hassan, thanked the Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo -Olu, for supporting the improvement of facilities which has resulted into the neatness of the hospital environment, professionalism and efficient service delivery.
He also appreciated the interventions by individuals like Odofin Adewunmi Ogunsanya, SAN, the Odofin of Ikorodu, Rep. Babajimi Benson and others.
In his royal remarks during the visitation to the hospital on the occasion of the first baby of the year celebration, Oba Shotobi congratulated mothers of new babies, and also appreciated the hospital management and staff for the good job that they have been doing.
He commended the MD/CEO, Dr. Hassan, for setting a tradition, and high standard for the hospital.
“My visitation is not just to present gifts or see the new babies, it is also a way of coming to see how my children(staff of the GeneralHospital) are faring and performing. Today, I have seen it myself, and not that somebody is reporting it to me, and I want you to keep it up.
“I have been echoing it since we have all agreed that that the General Hospital Ikorodu should be upgraded into a teaching hospital, and part of the facilities that we needed to achieve this are what Jimi Benson Foundation and Dewunmi Ogunnsanya have provided in the form of a Renal and Trauma Centres. So, we don’t have to go to Gbagada again”.
Dr. Mobolaji Olukoya, a Commissioner with the Lagos State Health Service Commission and former MD/CEO in General Hospital, lkorodu, also commended his successor and acknowledged the expansion of the hospital facilities with Renal and Trauma Centres.
