First Lady Oluremi Tinubu Urges Girls to Dream Big as Renewed Hope Initiative Marks Three Years, Reaches 27,345 Beneficiaries in FCT
Nigeria’s First Lady and National Chairman of the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), Oluremi Tinubu, has called on girls and young women across the country to dream big and pursue their ambitions with discipline, vision, and determination as the initiative celebrated three years of impact in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), reaching 27,345 beneficiaries through various empowerment programmes.
Speaking during the commemoration of three years of the Renewed Hope Initiative in Abuja under the theme, “Our Stories, Her Impact,” Senator Oluremi Tinubu emphasized the importance of having a clear vision and purpose in life, particularly for young girls.
According to the First Lady, dreams and aspirations serve as a driving force for success and personal growth.
“Dreaming is what keeps any human being going. If you sit and don’t have a dream, a vision of what you want to become, it becomes very tough for you,” she said.
She explained that the Dream Girls initiative, introduced under the FCT structure of RHI, was designed to help girls build confidence, ambition, and character, while also encouraging them to acquire etiquette and protocol skills that could prove valuable in leadership and public service roles.
Reflecting on the journey of the Renewed Hope Initiative since its inception, Senator Tinubu noted that the programme was established to complement the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu through people-centred interventions aimed at improving livelihoods and empowering vulnerable groups.
She recalled that the initiative’s first intervention took place on July 13, 2023, when support was provided to victims of the flood disaster at Trademoore Estate in Lugbe, Abuja. The initiative was subsequently registered on August 9, 2023.
“At the heart of every intervention, every programme, and every outreach, is a person whose life has been touched, a family that has found succour and support, or a community that has been empowered,” she said.
The First Lady highlighted RHI’s interventions over the last three years, noting that women, youths, children, veterans, senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups had benefitted from grants, skills acquisition programmes, educational support, scholarships, healthcare interventions, and emergency assistance.
She urged beneficiaries to extend similar support to others within their communities, stressing that compassion and service remain critical to national development.
“As you have been helped and assisted in one form or the other, do the same for a neighbour that we cannot see, no matter how small,” she said.
The First Lady also commended wives of state governors, state coordinators of the initiative, donors, development partners, and community leaders for contributing to the programme’s success. She particularly praised the immediate past FCT RHI Coordinator, Dr. Dayo Benjamins-Laniyi, for documenting and showcasing the initiative’s impact in the territory.
In her goodwill message, the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Imaan Suleiman-Ibrahim, said the initiative had successfully translated policy objectives into tangible benefits for women and children.
She noted that women had benefitted from skills acquisition, agricultural support, and small business grants, while girls were being protected through education, mental health programmes, and anti-violence advocacy.
According to her, communities across the FCT are witnessing fewer cases of child marriage and increased completion rates for girls in secondary schools.
“The beauty of RHI is that it respects culture while advancing progress,” she said, adding that traditional institutions had become active partners in implementing programmes aimed at improving the welfare of women and girls.
Also speaking, the Minister of State for the FCT, Mariya Mahmud Bunkure, described Senator Tinubu as a leader who has combined compassion with practical action.
She said the initiative had moved beyond rhetoric by providing women with resources and opportunities to participate in agricultural value chains and become entrepreneurs.
“We’re not just giving women grants to go and farm. We’re giving them opportunities within agro-value chains so they can become agro-entrepreneurs,” she stated.
Presenting the FCT impact report, former FCT RHI Coordinator, Dr. Dayo Benjamins-Laniyi, disclosed that 27,345 individuals across the six Area Councils of the FCT had benefitted from the initiative’s interventions over the past three years.
According to her, the beneficiaries included 3,307 children, 4,427 persons reached through economic empowerment programmes, 4,866 beneficiaries supported under food security and agriculture initiatives, 970 persons with disabilities, 4,423 beneficiaries under protection and systems-strengthening programmes, and 550 elderly citizens.
She said the interventions were implemented through five strategic pillars and more than 15 major programmes focused on strengthening livelihoods, promoting food security, enhancing social protection, and fostering inclusion.
Benjamins-Laniyi reaffirmed the initiative’s commitment to expanding its reach and deepening its impact across the FCT through sustained collaboration with stakeholders and development partners.
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