First Lady targets 36 varsities, 3,600 farmers for special intervention

Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, on Wednesday, tasked wives of all 36 state governors to nominate one tertiary institution and 100 farmers in their states for intervention projects by the Renewed Hope Initiative.

The 100 farmers would comprise 25 men and 75 women. This followed a partnership between the Tertiary Education Trust Fund and the Renewed Hope Initiative for interventions in infrastructural and human capital development for tertiary institutions.

“You are to nominate a tertiary institution in your state, it could be Federal or state-owned. The first phase of this intervention would be per zone,” said Mrs Tinubu at the quarterly meeting with Renewed Hope Initiative Zonal and State Coordinators, who are the wives of state governors.

The First Lady’s Senior Special Assistant on Media, Busola Kukoyi, revealed this in a statement she signed on Wednesday titled, ‘First Lady Oluremi Tinubu says Education is a veritable tool to actualise women’s rights.’

Tinubu said with education, girls and women would be able to make informed choices about decisions relating to their health and others.

She appealed to the wives of the Governors to avail their states the opportunity being provided through these programs as the citizens would be the direct beneficiaries.

The First Lady also announced a partnership between the RHI and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture to support 100 farmers in each State.

“They are ready to provide support to 100 farmers.

“You are to provide the 75 young women and 25 young men who are already into farming or are ready to go into farming.

“This is to encourage the youth to go into agriculture. This will help them and as well help the country,” she said.

She tasked governors’ wives to encourage the youth in their states to participate in the ongoing Unity Fabric competition which has prize money of N25m.

The meeting also discussed issues of the ongoing Every Home a Garden competition where first-time women farmers are encouraged to plant a garden at home to ensure that the harvest would be enough to provide food for them and their neighbours.

She revealed that the Women in Agriculture Support Program which kicked off in the Country’s Southeastern state of Imo will also hold in the other five geo-political zones with Ogun State coming up on April 16.

The meeting was an opportunity for the First Lady to felicitate with all Muslim faithful on the ongoing Ramadan fast and she prayed for greater peace and growth in the country