Senator Oluremi Tinubu, the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, yesterday touched down in Akure, the Ondo State capital, to enlist the support of traditional rulers for the South‑West launch of her Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI). The event was organised through a close collaboration between the Office of the First Lady, Ondo State ministry of women affairs and the Ondo State Ministry of Health under the supervision of Prof. Micheal Simidele Odimayo, Special Adviser on Health to the Governor, who played an instrumental role in planning and executing every aspect of the programme.
Prof Simidele Odimayo, the Special Adviser on health to Ondo State Governor has expressed heartfelt appreciation to the Executive Governor of Ondo state, Dr Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa for his commitment to growing the state’s health sector, evidence in the just concluded distribution of 10,000 kits to nurses and midwives.
In an audience with the Ondo State Council of Obas, Mrs. Tinubu appealed to the monarchs to champion key women’s health and empowerment programmes under her office’s banner.
Mrs. Tinubu opened her address by underscoring the urgency of eliminating mother‑to‑child transmission of HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis B, Syphilis and Tuberculosis. She implored the Obas to leverage their moral authority to encourage early testing, treatment adherence and community education in their domains.
“Our fight against HIV, Hepatitis B, Syphilis and TB must begin in the palace grounds,” she said. “With your blessing, we can transform attitudes, dispel stigma and safeguard the next generation.”
As part of her strategy to bolster the health workforce, the First Lady announced that no fewer than 10,000 professional kits—each containing a pair of Crocs and a full scrub set—will be distributed to nurses and midwives across the six South‑West states. This distribution, she explained, is timed to coincide with Nigeria’s annual Nurses Week celebrations, with priority given to rural primary‑healthcare facilities.
Turning to menstrual hygiene, Mrs. Tinubu unveiled “Flow with Confidence,” a new campaign to provide 10,000 reusable sanitary pads to schoolgirls in each South‑West state. The First Lady noted that lack of access to affordable menstrual products remains a leading cause of absenteeism among adolescent girls, particularly in remote communities.
On the subject of female genital mutilation (FGM), Mrs. Tinubu was unequivocal: “This harmful tradition is based on myth, not morality. It scars bodies and spirits without yielding any social benefit.” She called upon each monarch present to use their pulpit to denounce FGM and protect girls from the practice.
To stimulate women’s economic participation, the First Lady highlighted the Young Farmers’ Club and Women’s Gardening Initiative, backed by a N400 billion intervention fund from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture. Under this scheme, every state First Lady has been allocated N68.9 million in grants to equip female smallholder farmers with inputs, tools and training.
Education and skills development also featured prominently on the RHI agenda. Mrs. Tinubu announced scholarships for outstanding students, including opportunities for undergraduate study in Belarus, as well as the forthcoming roll‑out of an Alternative High School for Girls modelled after the successful Osun State pilot. The programme provides teenage mothers with formal education alongside on‑site childcare, enabling them to earn credentials without abandoning their infants.
Chief host Oba Aladetoyinbo Aladelusi, the Deji of Akure, conveyed the collective support of his colleagues, pledging: “Though our resources are limited, our prayers for the success of President Tinubu’s administration will never waver.” Representing the Olowo of Owo, Oba Gbadegesin Ogunoye, Oba Aladelusi commended the First Lady’s “steadfast loyalty” to her husband’s vision, predicting widespread public acclaim by the end of his first term.
The S.A to the Ondo State Governor who is a professor of microbial pathology described the remarkable initiative of the first lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu as a deliberate effort towards eradicating HIV/AIDS, HEPATITIS among other health issues particularly at underserved areas.
The event culminated in a ceremonial presentation of gifts to Senator Tinubu by Mrs. Oluwaseun Aiyedatiwa, wife of the Ondo State Governor, and was attended by Deputy Governor Dr. Olayide Adelami and his wife, Speaker Olamide Oladiji (represented by Hon. Olawumi Fayemi‑Obayelu), APC State Chairman Engr. Ade Adetimehin, Secretary to the State Government Dr. Taiwo Fasoranti, Chief of Staff Prince Segun Omojuwa, Head of Service Mr. Bayo Philips, as well as First Ladies from neighbouring states, political appointees and senior civil servants.
