First Lady of Nigeria and National Chairman of the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has stated that the Initiative has continued to transform lives and restore hope to vulnerable Nigerians through people-centred interventions implemented across the country over the past three years.
Speaking at the celebration of three years of the Renewed Hope Initiative held at the State House Banquet Hall in Abuja on Tuesday, Mrs Tinubu said the programme was established to complement President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda by improving livelihoods and creating opportunities for citizens. The event, themed: “Our Stories, Her Impact,” brought together State First Ladies, development partners, beneficiaries and other stakeholders to reflect on the Initiative’s achievements since its inception in July 2023.
First Intervention and Expansion
According to the First Lady, the organisation began operations shortly after its inaugural meeting on July 7, 2023, with its first intervention coming six days later through support for victims of the Trademoore Estate flood disaster in Lugbe, Abuja. She noted that since its official registration in August 2023, the Initiative had expanded its interventions to include women, youths, children, veterans, senior citizens, persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups.
Tinubu said beneficiaries across the country had received support through agricultural grants, educational assistance, healthcare interventions and relief materials, particularly in conflict and disaster-affected communities. “The testimonies from the Federal Capital Territory represent only a fraction of the work we have done across the nation,” she said.
Appreciation and Call for Collective Responsibility
The First Lady appreciated State First Ladies, Renewed Hope Initiative coordinators, donors, development partners and community leaders for their contributions toward achieving greater impact. She also commended the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, for supporting RHI programmes in the territory and praised the immediate past FCT Coordinator of the Initiative, Dr Adedayo Benjamins-Laniyi, for documenting and showcasing the achievements recorded in Abuja.
The First Lady urged beneficiaries to extend support to others within their communities, stressing that compassion and collective responsibility remained essential to national development. “As you have been helped and assisted in one form or another, do the same for a neighbour that we cannot see, no matter how small,” she said.
Testimonies of Transformation
Earlier, the immediate past FCT Coordinator of the Renewed Hope Initiative and Director-General of the Maryam Babangida National Centre for Women Development, Dr Adedayo Benjamins-Laniyi, described the Initiative as “a movement of compassion, dignity and opportunity.” Benjamins-Laniyi said the programme had demonstrated that compassion could be institutionalised and public service delivered with a human face.
She stated that millions of Nigerians had benefited from interventions in economic empowerment, healthcare, agriculture, education, youth development and social welfare. According to her, women in the FCT had received ICT and digital skills training through partnerships with relevant institutions, while entrepreneurs, persons with disabilities, farmers and disaster victims had also benefited from various support programmes.
She stressed that the true measure of development was not statistics but lives transformed. “A report may tell us how many beneficiaries were reached, but it does not capture the story of the widow who regained confidence after receiving support or the young girl who remained in school because she had access to dignity products,” she said.
Partnerships and Recognition
Benjamins-Laniyi acknowledged the contributions of the Queen Mothers of the 17 tribal chiefdoms in the FCT, wives of Area Council chairmen, development partners, traditional rulers and members of her team for ensuring the success of the Initiative. She also commended UN Women Nigeria for its partnership with the FCT chapter of the Initiative, noting that the collaboration had strengthened programmes aimed at empowering women.
The former coordinator described the achievements recorded over the last three years as “a harvest of hope, dignity, opportunity and transformed communities.” She thanked Senator Oluremi Tinubu for what she described as compassionate and purposeful leadership, saying the First Lady had demonstrated that leadership could still transform lives and bring governance closer to the people.
DEPOWA Commends RHI
Also, the President of the Defence and Police Officers’ Wives Association (DEPOWA), Mrs Mernan Femi Oluyede, commended the First Lady of Nigeria and National Chairman of the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), Senator Oluremi Tinubu, for her compassionate leadership and commitment to improving the lives of women, families and vulnerable Nigerians. Oluyede described the theme, “Our Stories – Her Impact,” as a reflection of the transformative effect of the initiative on beneficiaries across the country.
She noted that beyond statistics, the initiative had restored dignity, renewed hope and strengthened livelihoods through various empowerment programmes, educational support schemes, healthcare interventions and welfare packages. According to her, veterans, widows, persons living with disabilities, women, students and vulnerable households have benefited from financial assistance, trade tools, educational support and other interventions that have positively impacted their lives and created new opportunities.
She said DEPOWA, as an association committed to the welfare of Military, Police and other security families, was honoured to participate in the celebration and appreciated the Renewed Hope Initiative’s recognition and support for families who bear the sacrifices associated with national service. She congratulated the initiative on its third anniversary and reaffirmed the association’s appreciation to Senator Oluremi Tinubu for her dedication to improving the lives of Nigerians, expressing hope that the stories of impact would continue to inspire compassion, service and collective action towards building a more inclusive society.
