First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, on Friday began a three-day official visit to Lagos State with an interactive meeting with traditional rulers and religious leaders at the State House, Marina.
The meeting, attended by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, senior government officials, members of the Governance Advisory Council (GAC), National Assembly lawmakers, and All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders, served as a feedback forum on the impacts of the First Lady’s flagship Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI).
Traditional rulers at the event were led by the Vice Chairman of the Lagos Council of Obas and Chiefs, the Ayangburen of Ikorodu, Oba Kabiru Shotobi, who represented the Oba of Lagos, Alayeluwa Rilwanu Akiolu. Senator Tinubu was accompanied by the wife of the Vice President, Hajia Nana Shettima, and Mrs. Salamatu Gbajabiamila, wife of the President’s Chief of Staff.
Governor Sanwo-Olu hailed the First Lady’s grassroots interventions, describing the RHI as a non-political platform that has brought hope to the vulnerable and elderly across Nigeria.
“Through RHI, Senator Tinubu has activated numerous programmes that meet the needs of people at the grassroots. The impacts cut across geopolitical zones without any political bias. Opposition states have also benefited, showing that the motive is compassion, not politics,” Sanwo-Olu said.
Senator Tinubu highlighted several RHI projects in Lagos, including the distribution of 100,000 educational materials, scholarships, school renovations, and the empowerment of women in agriculture and petty trade. She noted that 1,000 women in each state had benefited from a N50,000 grant scheme launched in 2024, while Lagos women received additional support such as industrial ovens, deep freezers, and grinding machines.
The First Lady also pointed to ongoing health programmes, including cervical cancer vaccinations, TB/HIV advocacy, and the Flow With Confidence Initiative, which will provide 10,000 yearly sanitary pad supplies to Lagos schoolgirls in underserved communities.
Since November 2023, she disclosed, RHI had supported 1,709 widows and orphans of fallen servicemen with N422.8 million. Plans are also underway to empower persons living with disabilities with N200,000 grants per beneficiary during this year’s World Disability Day.
Oba Shotobi, speaking for the traditional rulers, praised the First Lady’s efforts and urged her to use her influence to push for a statutory role for traditional institutions in governance. He also renewed the call for the recognition of Lagos’ 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in the constitution to reflect the state’s population and economic importance.
The First Lady thanked the leaders for their support and urged them to take the RHI message back to their communities.