First Lady Oluremi Tinubu yesterday took her pet project, the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), to Ondo State, where she made a number of donations to petty female traders and farmers as well as nurses and midwives.
She announced during the distribution of professional kits to 10,000 nurses and midwives in the Southwest that N50 million had been made available to the state’s governor’s wife, Oluwaseun Aiyedatiwa, to support 1,000 female traders.
At the meeting with the monarchs, the First Lady said the RHI had received N400 billion intervention fund from the Ministry of Agriculture.
She added that N68.9 million had been released to each of the wives of governors to support women farmers in their states.
She also told the monarchs that a scholarship scheme for students and an alternative high school for girls would soon be launched in the state.
Senator Tinubu said that RHI had provided targeted interventions in agriculture, economic empowerment, education, health and social investment to improve the lives of families.
She said: “RHI recognises that the demand of the health professional requires not only skills and compassion, but also the right tools and kits to encourage our midwives as they serve others.
“Since the initial launch in January 2025, we have distributed the professional kits in four zones, namely Northcentral, Northeast, Northwest and Southsouth. By the grace of God, we will be concluding with the sixth zone in Enugu, Southeast in June.
“These donations have been made possible through the generous support of an anonymous global partner dedicated to improving health outcomes for our citizens. I refer to them as anonymous because they prefer to remain so.”
She told the traditional rulers that the scholarship scheme for students and the Alternative High School for Girls are tailored to provide both education and childcare support for teenage mothers through on-site crèches.
The First Lady also appealed to the monarchs to support her campaign to end female genital mutilation, Hepatitis B, and other sicknesses affecting women.
Chairman of the state Council of Obas and Olowo of Owo, Gbadegesin Ogunoye, said the traditional rulers would support the First Lady’s initiative.