The First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has called on the National Assembly to formally recognize and support the Office of the First Lady at both the federal and state levels—similar to what obtains in the United States.
She noted that such institutional backing would enhance the office’s capacity to positively impact more lives across the country.
Senator Tinubu made this call while speaking with journalists after the 2nd Quarterly Meeting with Wives of State Governors and State Coordinators of the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), held at the State House, Abuja.
“On our part, the RHI has, in the last two years, done as much as possible with the funds available. If we had more, we could do more. For example, we awarded scholarships of N1 million each to 47 indigent students—we could have supported even more.”
She added, “We are wives, and we want to see our husbands succeed. They are like trees, and we are the branches that perch on them. We want to support them as much as we can.”
Speaking further on the impact of the Renewed Hope Initiative over the past two years, the First Lady emphasized that the program is focused on touching lives—one person at a time.
“We are helping the less privileged. Nigeria is a blessed country with abundant resources—we just need to harness them properly,” she said. “We must also ensure we are working within our means. Personally, I just want to contribute what I can to make society better.”
Addressing the recent upsurge in violence in parts of the country, Senator Tinubu described the incidents as “evil and unfortunate.”
“As mothers and women, we must intensify our prayers for the nation. The killings in Borno and Plateau States are not new, but why are they resurfacing now—just as the country is making progress and the world is beginning to acknowledge us?” she asked. “We need prayers. This is evil—very evil. Whatever we can do for Nigeria, we must do it.”
Earlier during the meeting, the First Lady expressed her appreciation to the wives of state governors for their complementary efforts, which she commended as commendable and impactful.
She encouraged them to strengthen advocacy and awareness campaigns against HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis, Syphilis, Tuberculosis, and Cervical Cancer.
The First Lady also announced that the Flow With Confidence Initiative, aimed at supporting adolescent girls in rural communities, will soon be launched. As part of this initiative, each state will receive 10,000 cartons of disposable sanitary towels for distribution.
Additionally, she disclosed that the RHI Environment Club/Society will be officially unveiled in the coming weeks.
In attendance at the meeting were the wife of the Vice President, the wife of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the wife of the Deputy Senate President, and 24 wives of state governors.
