Nigeria Is Making Progress, First Lady Tells Diplomats’ Spouses

Nigeria is a work in progress that is poised to make a huge difference under the current Bola Tinubu administration, especially with critical internal and external support.

First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Remi Tinubu, stated this while granting audience to spouses of Heads of Missions to Nigeria in her office.

In a statement by her media aide, Busola Kukoyi, the First Lady pointed out that there has been a gradual but steady improvement in the nation, which she believed will be sustained for greater impact.

Mrs Tinubu said that she was taking enormous steps through her Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) toward ensuring that education of the Nigerian child, health, and livelihood of the average Nigerian were improved.

Highlighting the problem of Almajiri, she once again emphasised that the problem was not insurmountable.

“When you said you would like to educate all of us, that will be great, Nigeria is the most populous nation in Africa and that is a huge number.

“We have like 18.5 million of this group not having any formal education at all, this are children looking for Islamic education, we are still looking at that and the weight alone is something else,” she stated.

She added: “Like you said, taking step one day at a time matters, we cannot said that because the challenges are huge does not mean that it cannot be surmountable.

“The type of school we are planning and proposing for them is like a boarding school because these children are the ones you see outside begging with plates in their hands begging for food but they are not beggars they just came for the masters knowledge and do not have food to eat.

“Anybody that is God fearing will shun crime, some of this children were molested, therefore, we are looking at what we can do and we are quite hopeful and taking a huge steps as well to help them.

“Talking about the out-of-school children, the challenge is quite daunting but we are doing whatever we can and we are also looking for assistance wherever we can get one and it looks promising.”

The First Lady thanked the visiting group for all they have been doing for Nigerian Women and Children, noting that women form the fulcrum of great nations.

Wife of the Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria, Sigalit Freeman, who led two other members of the association of spouses of heads of Mission, wives of Guinea Bissau and Canadian ambassadors, commended Senator Tinubu for her efforts not just as Nigeria’s First Lady but in times past as a legislator and a governor’s wife.

Mrs Freeman pointed out that the group came calling in acknowledgement of the First Lady’s interest in promoting the wellbeing of vulnerable groups in the country and sought ways of collaboration.

She explained that part of the aim of the group was to ensure that all Nigerians, especially women and children were learned.

“Every year we have become more active and trying to fulfill purpose of the mission and in our group, we are working with different organisations like widows organisation , schools with kids, hospital here in Abuja and together we are trying to do the best for the people that are admitted in the hospitals”..

“For this year we decided to choose NGO that is focusing on education and we hope that together with you, the first lady, we can fulfill our mission in our group.

“We are trying to do our best to bring education to the kids in Nigeria, this is what we want, it may take up to three to five years, we are following you, we are seeing what you are doing for your people in education for kids and women in Nigeria,” Mrs Freeman stated.

As part of their plans in this regard, the group is set to host a Gala towards raising resources for the cause.