Nigeria’s Oldest New Mom, 67, Christens Baby

MICHAEL AKINOLA

A week after the arrival of her new baby boy, 67-year old Mrs Ajibola Otubusin has christened her boy and named him Shalom Oluwatomilola Otubusin.

Baby Otubusin was conceived through In Vitro Fertilisation and Embryo Transfer procedure at the St Ives IVF & Fertility Center and was delivered at Atoke Medical Centre, Abeokuta, Ogun State on Saturday October 20.

The elated mother thus broke all records not only as the oldest Nigerian woman to give birth through IVF (In-Vitro Fertilization), she also the oldest African in recorded history to give birth to a baby, and becoming the second oldest mum in the world.

The child’s christening was held at Deeper Life Secretariat, White House, Leme, Abeokuta, where well-wishers, clerics, family members and friends joined the 70-year-old father of the baby, Prof. Samuel Otubusin and his wife to celebrate what they termed “God’s faithfulness.”

Prof. Otubusin, who retired recently from Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, while giving his testimony before the congregation, said God had given him the baby’s names since May 10, 1982.

He equally told the congregation how his wife went from one hospital to another both in Nigeria and India in search of the fruit of the womb, adding that despite all her wife went through, she was attacked spiritually many times during pregnancy.

He said, “Our story is as simple as A, B, C and D. It all started in 1977. Just yesterday, isn’t it?

“Despite all the major health issues she had before the pregnancy, my wife suffered several spiritual attacks. And thank God, we are always together and we are prayer partners.

“The best prayer partner you should have is your wife. So, each time she experienced the attack, we would pray together. To God be the glory, at the point of delivery, she didn’t take a single drop of blood.”

Otubusin insisted that the baby’s arrival after 39 years in marriage was not by accident rather, “fulfillment of God’s promise.”

In his sermon titled “Children Are The Heritage Of God”, Pastor Idowu Agida described the baby as a miracle baby and urged the parents to always give him godly training.

He said, “Medical experts might have tried their best, but it’s only God that gives children. So, children are the gift from God.”

The cleric saluted the old couple, who according to him, was determined and kept to God’s promise throughout the trying period.