The Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, has eulogised the First Lady and founder the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), Senator Oluremi Tinubu, for the impact, inspiration and outreach of RHI, describing the programme as a platform that continues to transform lives and expand economic opportunities for women.
Speaking at the Renewed Hope Initiative’s “Our Stories, Her Impacts” programme in Abuja, the Minister expressed appreciation for the First Lady’s leadership and commitment to women’s empowerment.
“Your Excellency, everyone today in this room is inspired, and everyone today in this room is grateful. You did not just direct it. You showed us how to do it, Your Excellency. We are overwhelmed with gratitude.”
She thanked the First Lady “for leading with a heart of good, for the Renewed Hope initiative that has continued to touch lives and transform lives and give women the opportunity to chart their own course to prosperity.”
Highlighting the implementation approach of the initiative, Minister Sulaiman-Ibrahim said the programme was creating pathways for women to participate across strategic economic value chains rather than providing one-off support, noting that the Renewed Hope Agenda was focused on expanding economic opportunities for women through entrepreneurship.
“When you said for us to go and put money in women’s hands, Your Excellency, through the Renewed Hope agenda, we are not just giving women gas cookers, but we are creating opportunities for them to be gas entrepreneurs so that they can be able to choose how they write their own success stories along the value chain. You said it, you directed, and you showed us that regardless, we can do it with or without money. We can make it count.”
She further explained that support for women in agriculture extends beyond farming activities.
“We are not just giving women grants to go and farm. We are giving them the opportunity along the whole agro value chain so that they can also become agro-entrepreneurs.”
The Minister also thanked the First Lady for her dedication to advancing the objectives of the Renewed Hope initiative, expressing confidence in the appreciation of Nigerian women for the programme’s impact.
She said, “Thank you, Your Excellency, for leading from the front. Thank you for your tireless and thankless job that we can never pay you for. Your Excellency, I assure you, come January 2027, the women of Nigeria will show you that they are grateful because we are grateful.”
Reaffirming the commitment to women’s economic empowerment, Minister Sulaiman-Ibrahim stated:
“We will continue to put money in women’s hands, and women will continue to write their success stories because, truly, these are their stories, but it’s your impact.”
