First Lady Oluremi Tinubu Advocates Strong Partnerships for Health and Education at African First Ladies’ Summit
Banjul, The Gambia – October 15, 2025
Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has called for stronger partnerships built on shared values to address health and education challenges facing families across Africa.
Speaking at the 12th Edition of the Merck Foundation First Ladies Initiative Committee Meeting held in Banjul, The Gambia, Senator Tinubu emphasized that robust collaborations among nations and organizations can help build resilient health systems, expand educational opportunities, and give renewed hope to families across Nigeria and the continent.
“Partnerships built on shared values can build stronger health systems, expand educational access, and give hope to families across Nigeria,” she stated.
Highlighting the achievements of the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), an intervention program of her office, the First Lady noted that the initiative continues to make significant impact in health, education, economic empowerment, social investment, and agriculture.
According to her, RHI has so far donated $2 million (naira equivalent) to support advocacy and treatment for cervical cancer and tuberculosis, as part of Nigeria’s commitment to eliminating both diseases by 2030. She added that the Initiative’s education programs have also provided annual scholarships to 47 indigent university students for three consecutive years, alongside 1,500 additional scholarships awarded in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Education for undergraduate and postgraduate studies.
Senator Tinubu commended Senator Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation, for her dedication to improving women’s and family health across Africa. She praised the Foundation’s interventions in Nigeria, which include:
- 14 scholarships for one-year diplomas in fertility and embryology and two-year master’s programs in sexual and reproductive care, women’s health, and family medicine;
- 40 scholarships for medical programs in diabetes, endocrinology, preventive cardiology, and obesity management;
- and three scholarships for oncology research, medical oncology, and pain management.
The Nigerian First Lady expressed optimism that the collaboration between RHI and Merck Foundation would continue to expand to reach more families and communities across Africa.
The meeting brought together several African First Ladies, including those from The Gambia, São Tomé, Central African Republic, Burundi, and Senegal, who shared their respective national interventions in women and children’s health and education.
Both the Merck Foundation and the Renewed Hope Initiative share a common vision of a healthier, better educated, and more empowered Africa, Senator Tinubu affirmed.
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