Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, has urged girls and young women to build ambition with discipline and long-term vision, saying dreams become meaningful when supported by preparation, values and purposeful action.
She made the remarks on Tuesday in Abuja during an event marking three years of the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) in the Federal Capital Territory, where officials said more than 27,000 residents have benefited from the programme’s interventions since launch.
Addressing participants at the State House Conference Centre, the First Lady said the initiative’s Dream Girls project was designed to encourage young women to develop confidence, leadership skills and readiness for future opportunities. She emphasized that ambition alone is not enough without planning and personal development.
“A person’s dreams are what sustain them. It gets really difficult for you if you don’t have a dream or a vision of what you want to be,” she said, while also encouraging participants to learn etiquette, protocol and social discipline as tools that can influence future opportunities.
Reflecting on the initiative’s journey, Mrs Tinubu said RHI was established to complement the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda through interventions focused on improving livelihoods and expanding access to opportunities for vulnerable groups. According to her, the programme began operations in July 2023 with support activities for flood victims in Lugbe, Abuja, before expanding nationwide.
The First Lady stated that over the past three years, the initiative has delivered support across multiple areas including economic empowerment, education, healthcare, skills acquisition, scholarships and emergency assistance targeting women, children, youth, senior citizens, veterans, persons with disabilities and underserved communities.
Presenting the FCT impact report, immediate past FCT RHI Coordinator, Dr. Adedayo Benjamins-Laniyi, disclosed that interventions across the six area councils reached 27,345 beneficiaries through more than 15 core programmes and five strategic pillars. According to the report, thousands received support through empowerment, agriculture, child-focused initiatives, disability inclusion and community protection programmes.
Other speakers at the event, including Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development Imaan Suleiman-Ibrahim and Minister of State for FCT Mariya Mahmoud, described the initiative as a platform that has expanded access to economic opportunities and strengthened support systems for women and vulnerable groups.
Closing the anniversary event, the First Lady encouraged beneficiaries to extend support to others within their communities, saying lasting impact depends on creating opportunities that multiply beyond direct intervention.
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