In the last 22 months, the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, through her empowerment initiatives, has implemented many laudable programmes that have enhanced the socio-economic well-being of women and youths, thereby serving as a model of service delivery and beacon of hope for beneficiaries. Deputy Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU highlights some of the activities.
Since 2023 when she became the First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has been up and doing. She has a passion: to educate, motivate, encourage, assist and lift up indigent women, youths and other people so that they can savour the full benefits of citizenship and good governance.
Although she is the Amazon behind the throne, she is not help by power, which draws a wool across the eyes of those in the high corridor. The wife of the President is not aloof to the plights of the masses, who have to be supported to overcome predictable constraints to happy and productive existence.
Her vision, passion and focus are underscored by numerous empowerment projects implemented by her office under the ‘Renewed Hope Initiative.’ These programmes cut across education, health and social development targetted at beneficiaries across the six zones of the federation
Senator Oluremi’s antecedents aptly prepared her for the current supportive role. A teacher and moulder of character and lives; a successful wife and mother of promising children; an astute politician and experienced public officer; a cleric, humanist and philanthropist, her worldview is shaped by varied experiences.
Her strength lies in her power of ideas, initiative and compassion for the less privileged. Oluremi, Yeye Asiwaju of Lagos, three-term senator, wife of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is now a role model for women in Africa, the role she plays with grace, charm, charisma, maturity, dignity, time management, discipline of mind, service orientedness and socio-economic enlightenment. This may have informed her election as a member of the Steering Committee of the Organisation of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD), the highest decision-making body of the organisation.
Oluremi has combined the good qualities of her predecessors – Flora Azikiwe, Victoria Gowon, and Maryam Babangida. But she is poles apart from the covetous lot in other climes; the tribe of arrogant first ladies focused on the primitive accumulation of gold and jewellery, which they, nevertheless, will not take to their graves.
According to observers, when it comes to doing good, Senator Oluremi is predictable. Like her husband, she hates poverty. In those days, her philanthropy transcends Nigeria. Worried by the plight of people in war-torn Liberia, she built a school in the devastated capital, Monrovia.
The First Lady is building on her Lagos legacy. Her New Era Foundation survived her tenure as wife of the Lagos governor and architect of modern Lagos. From that impressive performance, she entered the soap box, and the hidden virtues of an empathic politician unfolded. Mrs. Tinubu became a researcher, mobiliser, organiser, political host, party leader, and effective political and public speaker. She bares her mind on critical national issues, including electoral reforms, integrity of the ballot box, increased roles for women in democracy, party membership drive, women empowerment and social security for the elderly.
While she was in the Senate, Mrs. Tinubu was not a bench warmer. She also never became an Abuja politician who forgot her home. It is on record that Mrs. Tinubu canvassed for special federal economic assistance for Lagos as the nation’s economic nerve centre. Up to now, that quest for a special status has remained a tall order.
However, today, the entire country is her constituency where she has to expand the scope of her battle for a better and improved life for women in urban and rural areas, and where the 36 wives of the governors are expected to draw inspiration from her activities and creatively replicate them in their respective states.
The First Lady also carries other messages to women in politics and public life; in fact, she has something for men who think they can always dominate their women counterparts. It is the wish of Mrs. Tinubu that the gaps created by gender barriers should be bridged through inclusion. But women should also be vigilant, show more interest and avoid pulling down fellow women out of jealousy. Thus, Oluremi often urges women to rally behind one another for political office, emphasising the importance of solidarity, goodwill and mutual support in leadership.
Her activities as the visioner of the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) are unique. Driven by the passion for equitable public welfare for the less privileged, the First Lady has packaged RHI as a vehicle for alleviating poverty, scholarship for students, economic empowerment, financial assistance to the aged and assistance to women in agriculture.
It is interesting that Mrs. Tinubu, having set a model, has also mobilised and encouraged wives of governors across the 36 states to creatively replicate the activities of the RHI in their domains. They see her as a mother figure and source of inspiration in the gospel of empowerment.
Although there is no constitutional role for the First Lady, Mrs. Tinubu fills a void in service delivery and beneficiaries of her interventions appreciate her contributions to their wellbeing.
Within the first 100 days of the current administration, 43 students from different states and geo-political zones received scholarships under the RHI. The motivation was her eternal belief in education and skills acquisition as guarantors of life enhancement, employability, self-reliance, socio-economic uplifting, and political consciousness.
Under the programme, girls in Bauchi State savour the benefit of ICT education through the ‘Alternative High School for Girls.’ The school assists those who may have faced obstacles, including early marriages and lack of support.
The ‘One Nigeria Unity Fabric Competition,’ which showcases the creative ingenuity of youths, also inspires the spirit of enterprise. The winner was entitled to N25 million. It was a boost to talent, giftedness, and spirit of industry.
Unique empowerment
The flag-off of the RHI agricultural support programme in the six geo-political regions encourages women to till the soil and reap bountiful rewards for their labour. At the initial stage, no fewer than 20 women from each zone got N500,000 each. It is a programme done in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture. Also, the special population was taken into consideration as 100 people with disabilities received N100,000 each.
The Food Outreach Programme under the RHI’s Social Investment Scope was launched in March last year in Abuja. No fewer than 80 women in each of the 36 states were later targeted for empowerment. In October last year, Senator Tinubu launched the RHI Food Outreach in Ekiti State, with the distribution of food items to people living with disabilities, widows, special schools, and other vulnerable groups. The goal is to boost the productive energies of women, tackle hunger and poverty, and end food deficit in accordance with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Tinubu administration. RHI also distributed N1.9 billion to 9,500 elderly citizens nationwide.
Under the scheme, scholarships and free laptops were also given to each of the rescued students of the Federal University at Dutsinme in Katsina State while each of their parents also got N2 million.
In Borno State, 5,000 women who were victims of the Maiduguri flood disaster received N250 million. The victims of tanker explosions in some parts of the country also received the First Lady’s financial support.
Of concern to Mrs. Tinubu was the plight of 500 displaced Mangu families. They received N1 million each. Also, 500 women from each state in the Northcentral, namely: Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, Plateau, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), got empowerment items, including deep freezers, grinding machines and cooking gas/ovens. Indeed, 18,500 women across the country will ultimately benefit from the scheme.
In Niger State, 500 women went home with various items, such as deep-chest freezers, maxi gas cookers with microwave ovens, generator sets, and industrial grinding machines.
In Maiduguri, over 9,000 bags and cartoons of food items were donated to vulnerable women. The items included 3,000 units of 25kg bags of rice, 2,000 units of 50kg bags of sugar, 2,000 gallons of vegetable oil and 2,000 cartons of pasta.
It is not the money that is donated that is the main issue. The more important lesson is the noble intention of showing empathy, sympathy and affection to those hitherto neglected, the extension of a duty of care to one’s neighbour.
Mrs. Tinubu emphasized the alignment of this initiative with global development goals, saying:
“Women’s empowerment is central to achieving all the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDG-5 on gender equality and SDG-8 on decent work and economic growth. These items are not just tools; they are stepping stones toward financial independence and a better future for Nigerian women.”
She urged beneficiaries to use the resources wisely to build better lives for themselves and their families.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs, Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, highlighted the broader impact of the program on sustainable development. She said: “It is not just about distributing empowerment items; it is about unlocking potential, fostering economic independence, and creating opportunities for women to thrive.
“By equipping 500 women per state and the FCT with tools such as gas cookers, generators, deep freezers, and grinding machines, we are strengthening their capacity to build sustainable livelihoods and contribute meaningfully to inclusive national development.”
Orelope-Adefulire commended the First Lady for her visionary leadership through RHI and reiterated OSSAP-SDGs’ commitment to ensuring no woman is left behind in Nigeria’s journey toward achieving the SDGs.
The Minister of Women Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, said Nigeria can achieve economic boost driven by women.
She added: “This initiative is unprecedented. For years, empowerment programmes have relied heavily on donor funding. It marks a shift as domestic resources are being mobilized under Mr. President’s leadership to empower women at all levels.
“When women are empowered, families thrive, children stay in school, and communities prosper. This program is a testament to our commitment to nation-building through women’s empowerment.”
The Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Dr. Mariya Mahmoud, said the initiatives symbolised more than material aid but that they represent opportunities for transformation and sustainable development.
“Women are the backbone of our society. This empowerment initiative is a testament to our commitment to uplifting women and ensuring they have the tools to thrive economically and socially.” She further added: “These items are stepping stones for women to build thriving businesses, support their families, and contribute meaningfully to our communities.”
Another outstanding contribution of the First Lady is the distribution of professional kits to trained midwives in the North as part of a broader national effort to equip frontline health workers with essential tools to enhance maternal and child healthcare.
During the week, Mrs. Tinubu, on behalf of RHI, donated N1bn to the National Cancer Fund to fight the scourge of cervical cancer in the country, to the delight of thr National Taskforce on Cervical Cancer Elimination. She also urged Nigerians, especially women, to speak up and seek appropriate help whenever they have medical challenges.
Anti-HIV campaigns
She is also setting a new example of reorientation with emphasis on anti-HIV/AIDS campaigns, advocacy against early marriages, genital mutilation, child labour, and the essence of educating the girl-child.
Mrs. Tinubu decried the increasing rate of new HIV infections in the country, which is due among other reasons, to high mother to child transmission.
At the flag-off f the ‘Free-To-Fine’ csmpaign in Ilorin, Kwara State, she called for intensifying of efforts to ensure that the global Triple Elimination target of HIV/AIDS, Syphilis and Hepatitis is achieved by 2030.
“It is heartbreaking to learn that just two years ago, 15,000 children between the ages of 0-14 lost their lives to AIDS-related illnesses. Each of these children represented,not just a statistic, but a future full of potential, that was sadly cut short. The ongoing challenges faced by these children highlight the urgent need for sustained action to improve prevention strategies, diagnosis, and access to treatment,” she said.
Mrs. Tinubu urged faith-based institutions, traditional institutions, schools and family units to deepen advocacy on the prevention on HIV behaviors, especially those engaging in birthing services, by expanding access to HIV testing services with comprehensive counselling, treatment and care for all individuals who test positive.
Kwara State VoverbMallam Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq thanked the First Lady for leading the campaign from the front, saying thatthat Nigeria can achieve the goal of the Triple Elimination by 2030 since the nation did so with Polio and also ramped up testing and treatment of Tuberculosis which has led to a drastic reduction in the spread and mortality rate.
“ We have a president who is very committed to improving the health and wellbeing of Nigerians”.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare Prof. Mohammed Alli Pate noted that his Ministry will not relent in ensuring that Nigeria exits the list of countries with high statistics of HIV/AIDS and other diseases.
WHO Country Representative, Dr Walter Mulombo, said with this renewed campaign, maternal and child healthcare outcomes will greatly improved
Support for health workers
Mrs Tinubu has also flagged off the distribution of professional kits to midwives provided by the RHI. That of the Northwest geo-political zone was held in Kaduna State. It was attended by wives of governors from seven states.
The First Lady explained that the demands of the health profession go beyond mere skills and compassion, adding that the right tools and infrastructure are also needed.
Mrs. Tinubu commended the efforts and contributions of the midwives and the entire health workforce, which are critical to attaining the reduction of maternal and child mortality in Nigeria.
She said “I am honoured to officially flag-off the distribution of 10,000 Professional Kits to Midwives in the North-West States, namely Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, and Zamfara, with Kaduna State being the chief host.
“This event is to complement the ongoing Federal Government retraining exercise for 120,000 frontline health workers nationwide. I am informed that 59,570 health workers have already completed their training and that is why the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) procured 60,000 branded scrubs and 60,000 pairs of crocs, as an incentive to encourage and support the tireless dedication of our Midwives”.
The First Lady added: “I commend the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Mohammed Ali Pate, CON, the Executive Director and CEO of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr. Muyi Aina, and their entire workforce for their dedicated focus on improving healthcare delivery for our citizens as an important pillar of development, in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”
“All six geopolitical zones will receive 10,000 scrubs and 10,000 pairs of crocs, which will be distributed among the states in each zone.
Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani said the nation is currently witnessing great transformation in the health sector that is gradually but consciously improving life expectancy and other outcomes in the sector.
He commended Mrs. Tinubu for her strong determination and dedication to improving the lives of the ordinary Nigerian especially through the visible activities of the Renewed Hope Initiative, RHI since inception in 2023.
Prof. Pate assured that the Federal Government is doing all it can to close the gap in access to healthcare especially for pregnant women and mothers.
He urged the beneficiaries to focus on improving the services they render pointing out that if complications arise during birth they should refer such cases to the appropriate hospitals.
The Minister said the Federal Government has concluded arrangements to make such treatments free.
