Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, on Monday said her office currently operates without any official budget from the federal government.
Speaking at the second quarterly meeting of the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, she appealed to the National Assembly to provide yearly funding to support meaningful social projects across the country.
Mrs. Tinubu noted that the operations of her office rely heavily on personal donations from well-meaning Nigerians, which she redistributes to state First Ladies for grassroots outreach.
She said this approach is not sustainable and urged lawmakers, especially her former colleagues in the Senate, to consider direct funding for one major project annually under the Office of the First Lady.
“Most of the resources I used to work are just given to me by well-meaning Nigerians. It is whatever they give to me that I have to distribute to the First Ladies of various states. It’s difficult. So the government doesn’t run my office. I do a lot of collaboration, which you will see,” she said.
The First Lady called on lawmakers to adopt a model similar to zonal intervention programs, suggesting that even a modest allocation of N500 million to N1 billion could fund impactful, transparent projects.
She insisted that future First Ladies should not be confined to ceremonial duties but empowered to implement meaningful programs.
Mrs. Tinubu also shared her motivation, stating her actions stem from a strong desire to support her husband’s administration and give a voice to the vulnerable in society.
“We are wives. Whatever name we call ourselves, either a domestic engineer or whatever, we want to see our husbands succeed,” she said, adding that women in leadership roles must contribute to building stronger communities.
She noted that Nigeria, despite its poverty statistics, still spends lavishly on events, which contradicts claims of hardship. According to her, more responsible spending and planning could lead to real national development.
Turning to environmental concerns, Mrs. Tinubu introduced the “RHI Green Nigeria Challenge,” a tree-planting initiative aimed at fighting desertification in the northern region.
She expressed concern over the barren nature of many northern states and encouraged states and citizens to plant trees that thrive in dry climates.
“I want us to grow trees. I discovered traveling to the North, mainly it’s void of trees. All you see is just dry land,” she said.
As part of the program, incentives have been introduced to encourage participation. Individual homes could receive N10 million for growing trees, while communities may win up to N100 million.
A top-performing state will also earn a N100 million grand prize. Enugu State was acknowledged for already maintaining green and clean environments and will receive an award and financial reward.
In addition, the First Lady revealed the upcoming NITDA-RHI Women’s ICT Training Program for 2025. The digital empowerment scheme will train 240 women—40 from each geopolitical zone.
Beneficiaries will receive a digital package including laptops, internet devices, and cash grants, which will soon be increased from N80,000 to N100,000.
Meanwhile, the First Lady of Kwara State, Prof. Olufolake AbdulRazaq, assured partners that the RHI projects are inclusive and designed to reach the poorest members of society. She noted that every senatorial district is represented, with projects channelled through primary healthcare centers and grassroots lists.
The event follows the March edition of the RHI meeting, where a N1.85 billion grant was unveiled for entrepreneurs living with disabilities.
