Oluremi Tinubu Pledges Commitment to Gender Equality at OAFLAD General Assembly
First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has reaffirmed her dedication to advocacy, resource mobilization, and fostering partnerships aimed at bridging the gender gap and empowering women and youth in Nigeria. She made this commitment during the 29th General Assembly of the Organisation of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Speaking on the theme of the assembly, 'Building on Beijing: First Ladies Championing Women's Leadership and Rights through African Heritage,' the First Lady emphasized the need to leverage Africa’s values in shaping a new vision for women on the continent.
“This year marks three decades since the adoption of the Beijing Declaration. Nigerian women have made remarkable progress, emerging from villages to cities and even the world stage, excelling in fields such as education, health, science, technology, politics, music, fashion, business, and finance,” she stated.
Despite these advancements, she acknowledged persistent challenges, including issues related to healthcare, female genital mutilation (FGM), child marriage, gender-based violence, and girl-child education. She called on OAFLAD to strengthen partnerships that can accelerate the implementation of its 2025-2030 strategic framework.
“As we move forward with #WeAreEqualInAction, I remain committed to advocacy, mobilizing resources, and building collaborations to close the gender gap and empower women and youth in Nigeria. We must work together to make 2025 a transformative year for our continent, ensuring that Africa becomes a formidable force among nations,” she affirmed.
Senator Tinubu highlighted the achievements of her pet project, the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), which has been instrumental in advancing OAFLAD’s advocacy initiatives in Nigeria. Through RHI, significant strides have been made in education, social welfare, economic empowerment, agriculture, and health.
On healthcare, she announced that RHI has procured 60,000 professional kits (comprising scrubs and Crocs) for midwives to support the federal government’s ongoing retraining of 120,000 health workers. The initiative aims to encourage midwives and improve maternal and infant health outcomes. Distribution of these kits commenced in January 2025, beginning with 10,000 kits allocated to the North Central zone during her visit to Kwara State.
Additionally, she launched the Free to Shine Triple Elimination Campaign on January 30, 2025, to combat HIV/AIDS, syphilis, and hepatitis, focusing on reducing infections among women of reproductive age and preventing mother-to-child transmission.
In the area of environmental sustainability, she announced a partnership between RHI and the Federal Ministry of the Environment to scale up climate awareness. This will be achieved through the re-launch of the Environment Climate Change Club in secondary schools and higher institutions across Nigeria.
The General Assembly, attended by 13 First Ladies in person and representatives of eight others, also featured prominent speakers, including Ambassador Minata Samaté Cessouma, outgoing Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs, and Social Development at the African Union Commission; Professor Senait Fisseha, Vice President of Global Programs at the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation; and Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS. The discussions underscored the urgent need to address gender-based violence, expand opportunities for women, and bridge Africa’s $16 billion funding gap in critical sectors.
The 29th OAFLAD General Assembly is focused on championing women’s leadership and rights, marking three decades since the landmark Beijing Women’s Conference in 1995.
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