…urges girls to “dream big”

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru

ABUJA — The Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), led by First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has empowered 27,345 residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) over three years.

Among the beneficiaries include people living with disabilities, veterans, seniors and needy families.

Speaking at the RHI FCT chapter’s third anniversary, Mrs. Tinubu urged girls and young women to set high ambitions and prepare for success.

“Dreaming is what keeps any human being going. If you sit and don’t have a dream, a vision of what you want to become, it becomes very tough for you,” she said.

“You have to learn a lot of things about etiquette and protocol because you don’t know when you will be called upon to do something.”

The First Lady highlighted the Dream Girls initiative under RHI’s FCT structure, saying it reflects her commitment to building confidence, ambition and character among girls.

“As you have been helped and assisted in one form or the other, do the same for a neighbour that we cannot see, no matter how small,” she added.

Dr. Dayo Benjamins-Laniyi, immediate past FCT RHI coordinator, presented a report showing the scope of the outreach across six area councils and five strategic pillars.

According to the report, beneficiaries included 3,307 children, 4,427 people reached under economic empowerment, 4,866 supported in food security and agriculture, 970 persons with disabilities, 4,423 under protection and systems strengthening, and 550 elderly persons.

“The RHI remains committed to expanding its reach and deepening its interventions in the FCT through continued collaboration with relevant stakeholders,” Benjamins-Laniyi said.

She was praised by the First Lady for bringing “fresh ideas” and innovation to the initiative. “I sat here watching the innovation, all the innovative programs that you brought to the table,” Mrs. Tinubu said. “I commend the immediate past FCT RHI Coordinator…

As you move on to greater responsibility, I wish you Godspeed. I personally will miss your contributions.”

Mrs. Tinubu traced the initiative’s start to July 7, 2023, with its first intervention on July 13, 2023, assisting flood victims at Trademoore Estate, Lugbe.

The organisation was registered on August 9, 2023, and was designed to complement President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda with people-centred programmes.

Imaan Suleiman-Ibrahim, Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, said RHI is turning policy into practical delivery through traditional institutions.

“Traditional rulers and their wives are no longer spectators. We are now implementators,” she said. She credited the initiative with reducing child marriage and increasing girls’ secondary-school completion in FCT communities.

“The Renewed Hope is not a slogan. In the FCT it is a woman’s face, a girl’s school uniform, and a mother’s dignity,” she added.

Mariya Mahmud, Minister of State for FCT, praised the First Lady’s hands-on leadership, saying RHI goes beyond rhetoric to practical empowerment.

“You didn’t just direct it. You showed us how to do it, Your Excellency,” she said. Mahmud said RHI’s economic support aims to move women from dependence into agro-value-chain entrepreneurship.

Mrs. Mernan Femi Oluyede, President of the Defence and Police Officers’ Wives Association (DEPOWA), described the anniversary as “a celebration of lives changed by compassion and support,” noting beneficiaries including veterans, widows and security families.

Reflecting on RHI’s three years, Mrs. Tinubu said the programme’s theme, “Our Stories, Her Impact,” captures its purpose:

“At the heart of every intervention, every programme, and every outreach, is a person whose life has been touched, a family that has found succour and support, or a community that has been empowered.”