RHI: First Lady challenges governors’ wives on grassroots impact
First Lady Oluremi Tinubu yesterday urged the wives of governors across the country to deepen grassroots interventions and take greater ownership of social programmes in their states. Mrs. Tinubu said
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First Lady Oluremi Tinubu yesterday urged the wives of governors across the country to deepen grassroots interventions and take greater ownership of social programmes in their states.
Mrs. Tinubu said this while presiding over the first quarterly meeting of the wives of governors under the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI).
The meeting, held at the State House in Abuja, brought together the governors’ wives to review the activities, programmes, events and targets set for the year under the RHI platform.
Addressing reporters at the end of the opening session, the First Lady said the governors’ wives were meeting for the first time this year to collectively review their roles and contributions as partners in advancing social development across the country.
She noted that while significant groundwork had been laid since the launch of the initiative, the time had come for the programmes to mature and deliver visible results at the state level.
“It’s like giving birth to a baby: there is the teething stage and learning how to walk. After a while, the baby is supposed to walk unaided. That is what I want to see,” she said.
Mrs. Tinubu said the objective of the meeting was to hear from the governors’ wives about initiatives they were implementing and how they were complementing government efforts through social and humanitarian programmes.
The First Lady announced that both she and the wife of the Vice President, Hajia Nana Shettima, had served as first ladies of their states in the past and understood the unique challenges associated with the role.
She noted that the title of “First Lady” carries expectations of leadership and social responsibility.
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Mrs. Tinubu urged the governors’ wives to justify the position by initiating impactful programmes.
“They wanted the title ‘First Lady of the state.’ Before, people would say wife of the governor. But if you want that title, then we want to see you actually reach out and be independent in what you are doing,” she said.
Drawing from her experience as a former governor’s wife in Lagos State, Mrs. Tinubu advised the current governors’ wives to develop initiatives that support young people, promote mentorship and foster self-reliance.
The First Lady recalled how programmes, such as the Lagos Spelling Bee competition, were introduced to encourage pupils to remain in public schools at a time when educational infrastructure faced serious challenges.
“I started some small initiatives, like the Spelling Bee competitions and leadership programmes for girls to encourage young people and complement what the government was doing,” she stated.
Mrs. Tinubu also urged the governors’ wives to address emerging social concerns, including the need to positively reshape the mindset of young boys through targeted mentorship and support programmes.
The First Lady cited initiatives already underway in some states, including programmes that focus on the boy-child, being run by the current Lagos State governor’s wife, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu.
She described them as important steps toward addressing societal challenges.
Mrs. Tinubu also identified child nutrition as one of the major priorities of the Renewed Hope Initiative this year, saying the issue would be tackled aggressively across the country.
“It is sad that a nation as rich as ours is still talking about child malnutrition at this level. We are going to go at it aggressively and do the best we can to tackle it,” she said.
The First Lady also encouraged the governors’ wives to promote women’s economic empowerment through agriculture, skills development, and small-scale enterprises tailored to strengthen their states’ economies.
She cited the examples of initiatives in some states, including the development of an adire production hub in Ekiti State and opportunities in cassava processing and fish production in other regions.
According to her, such locally driven programmes can help women to generate income while strengthening community economies.
The quarterly meeting, Mrs. Tinubu said, would also serve as a platform for sharing success stories and best practices that could be replicated across states.
“We want to hear their stories: what they are doing in their states, so that we can tell people and encourage others to do more,” she added.
The RHI, launched by the First Lady, focuses on social investment programmes targeting women, youths and vulnerable groups, particularly in areas such as economic empowerment, education, health and food security.
