Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu says contrary to insinuations in some quarters, her pet project, Renewed Hope Initiative, is receiving financial support from well-meaning individuals who are supportive of her initiative.
She gave the clarification in an interview with State House Correspondents after she held a meeting with the wives of the 36 State Governors.
“I know people are always saying where do I get the millions from; that is not fair. We are a nongovernmental organization (NGO) and people give us money so we do what is needed. I have been a cheerful giver especially when it has to do with education.
At Adeyemi College of Education, I donated a block of classrooms. I even built a school in Liberia in the past. I love charity work, I do a lot of charity with whatever little I have and for me to be the First Lady of Nigeria, it is for me to set the pace,” she said.
Mrs Tinubu used the opportunity to call on well-to-do women to donate towards improving the lives of the less privileged in society.
“I am challenging other women who have money to help because when they are doing arty they will do it for one week. If one of such persons can take one person and make his life better I think that will be good. That is the way I see life,” she added.
Gardening
The First Lady, who recently introduced a programme she calls ‘every home a Garden,’ also called on Nigerian families to cultivate the habit of farming or starting a garden within their neighbourhoods, in order to eat healthy and fresh vegetables and other farm products.
“If you look at ‘every home a garden,’ it will amaze you how many people are now being inspired to own their garden. This is what I am doing and I want people to do that too because if you are a leader, you have to set a good standard for people to follow,” said the First Lady.
She disclosed that 20 entries were received for the ‘Every Home a Garden’ competition which was introduced by the Renewed Hope Initiative, adding that after careful scrutiny, the three best have been selected and a winner would be announced in December.
“My orientation is to push people to aspire to be the best. When I was teaching, that was how I moved my students and the students we pushed then, have all excelled in life. We produced first-class degree holders, all from public schools,” she said.
Minister of State for Agriculture, Sahabi Abdullahi, who also attended the meeting with the First Ladies, revealed that the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security is collaborating with the Renewed Hope Initiative to encourage farming activities among women and the youth.
“We are partnering with her pet project, the Renewed Hope Initiative under the agriculture support programme pillar and basically what we are trying to achieve, we have seen the beauty of the design of the First Lady of Nigeria’s project and we have decided to key-in because we know we can leverage on her platform to reach out to all the States through their First Ladies,” he said.
The Minister disclosed that the Ministry of Agriculture intends to support each State with at least N68 million for the four agricultural programmes of the Renewed Hope Initiative, which include ‘every home a Garden and young farmers club, among others.
“We have a budget line but based on what we have come out with now, having done all the processes and whatever, about N68 million will be going to each of the States,” said the Minister.
Dominica Nwabufo
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