The First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, says President Bola Tinubu’s government is committed to helping women grow economically so they can achieve the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
She said this on Saturday in Lagos during the launch of the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) for the South-West zone. At the event, 1,000 women received empowerment items through the partnership of RHI and the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs.
The programme is part of a nationwide plan to lift 18,500 women out of poverty. RHI is a humanitarian initiative by the First Lady to support her husband’s vision of ensuring every Nigerian benefits directly from government projects.
Mrs. Tinubu explained that 500 women from Lagos and other South-West states were carefully selected to receive business tools such as deep freezers, gas cookers with ovens, generators, and industrial grinding machines.
“These items are meant to help our women start or expand their businesses and contribute to Nigeria’s prosperity,” she said. She added that the items would be shared through state First Ladies and RHI coordinators.
She encouraged the women to make good use of the items. “Use them to build a better life for yourself and your family,” she told the beneficiaries.
The First Lady also praised Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for donating an additional 500 empowerment items, raising the total beneficiaries in Lagos State to 1,000.
She stressed that empowering women is central to national progress. “This programme supports President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which promotes inclusivity, economic growth, and sustainable development. Women play a key role in building the nation. By supporting them, we are working toward gender equality and decent work, which are part of the SDGs,” she explained.
She thanked Mrs. Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs, for her strong support.
Speaking earlier, Orelope-Adefulire urged the women to use their new equipment wisely. She said the project was not just about giving out items but about “unlocking potential, encouraging independence, and creating opportunities for women to succeed.”
She explained that the tools—freezers, gas cookers, generators, and grinding machines—were chosen to help women build lasting businesses and contribute to Nigeria’s growth.
Orelope-Adefulire thanked Senator Tinubu for her vision and leadership, as well as Lagos State’s First Lady and Governor Sanwo-Olu for backing the initiative. “When a woman is empowered, the community becomes stronger, and the nation prospers,” she said.
In his remarks, Governor Sanwo-Olu described the event as historic and inspiring. He said empowering women lifts not only families but also entire communities and the nation.
“Your Excellency, our First Lady, you have been a beacon of hope and courage for women and children. Today’s empowerment of 1,000 women is more than just giving items—it is planting seeds that will grow into forests of opportunities,” Sanwo-Olu said.
