First Lady Urges Girls To Dream Big As RHI Marks 3rd Anniversary In FCT

First Lady of Nigeria and National Chairman of the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has urged girls and young women to dream big, noting that vision, discipline, and preparation remain vital to success.

She made the call at the commemoration of three years of impact of the Renewed Hope Initiative in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

According to a statement by her media aide, Busola Kukoyi, the First Lady encouraged young people, especially girls, to develop a clear sense of purpose.

“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 stated.

The First Lady said the Dream Girls initiative, introduced under the FCT structure of RHI, reflects her belief in helping girls build confidence, ambition, and character.

She also urged young people to pay attention to etiquette and protocol, saying such skills were important in public life.

“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.”

Speaking on RHI’s three years of interventions in the FCT under the theme “Our Stories, Her Impact”, she said the Initiative was designed to improve livelihoods, empower vulnerable groups, and create opportunities for better living standards.

“The journey of the Renewed Hope Initiative began on 7th July, 2023, with its inaugural meeting at the State House. Thereafter, we hit the ground running by reaching out to communities in need,” she recalled.

The First Lady said the first intervention came on July 13, 2023, when the Initiative supported victims of the flood disaster at Trademore Estate, Lugbe, Abuja.

She said the RHI was officially registered on August 9, 2023, and was created to complement President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda through people-centred programmes.

“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,” the First Lady added.

Senator Tinubu said RHI had supported women, youths, children, veterans, senior citizens, persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups for over three years with grants, skills, educational materials, scholarships, and health interventions and emergency assistance.

“The testimonies from the Federal Capital Territory represent a fraction of the work we have done across the nation.”

Senator Tinubu said the achievements of the last three years should inspire continued service, compassion and support for the vulnerable.

“To all the beneficiaries that RHI has impacted, I celebrate you. Your courage, determination, and success stories are inspiring and encouraging.”

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

“As we look ahead, let us continue to show compassion, extend a helping hand to those in need, and create opportunities that promote peace, progress, and prosperity for our nation.”

She thanked the wives of State Governors, RHI coordinators in the 36 states and the FCT, partners, donors and community leaders for their support.

“I commend the immediate-past FCT RHI Coordinator, Dr Dayo Benjamins-Laniyi, for documenting and showcasing three years of Renewed Hope Initiative impact in the FCT. As you move on to greater responsibility, I wish you Godspeed”.

In a goodwill message, the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hon. Imaan Suleiman-Ibrahim, said RHI had placed women and children at the centre of development and turned policy into practicality.

Hon Imaan Suleiman-Ibrahim said women had benefitted from skills training, agricultural support, and small business grants. At the same time, girls were being protected through education, mental health support, and anti-violence advocacy.

“In FCT communities, we are seeing fewer cases of child marriage and more girls complete secondary school. This is prevention in action”.

“The beauty of RHI is that it respects culture while advancing progress.”

She added that traditional institutions would continue to play key roles in mobilising and supporting women and girls.

“Traditional rulers and their wives are no longer spectators. They are now implementors.Our policies are now recognised as delivery points for health, education, and economic programmes.”

“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”.

Also speaking, the Minister of State for FCT, Dr Mariya Mahmud Bunkure, described the First Lady of Nigeria as a leader who had combined compassion with action.

She said the initiative had gone beyond rhetoric to practical empowerment.

“You didn’t just direct it. You showed us how to do it, Your Excellency.Thank you, Your Excellency, for leading with a heart of gold,” the FCT Minister of State said.

Dr Bunkure said the decision to put money in women’s hands was creating value chain opportunities and helping women move from dependence to enterprise.

“We’re not just giving women grants to go and farm. We’re giving them the opportunity and what people call agro-value chains so that they can also become agro-entrepreneurs”.

“Your Excellency, we will continue to put money in women’s hands, and women will continue to write their success stories because truly this is their story, but your impact”.

Former FCT RHI Coordinator, Dr Dayo Benjamins-Laniyi, while presenting the FCT report, said 27,345 people benefited from RHI interventions across six Area Councils over the three years.

She said the programmes were delivered through five strategic pillars of the RHI and more than 15 other major interventions aimed at strengthening livelihoods, food security, protection and inclusion.

According to her, 3,307 children benefited from the programme; 4,427 persons were reached through economic empowerment; 4,866 beneficiaries were supported in food security and agriculture; 970 persons with disabilities were assisted; 4,423 beneficiaries were protected, and systems strengthened; and 550 elderly persons also benefited.

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