Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia has congratulated First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, on her 66th birthday, singling out her social-investment work as a steady source of relief for vulnerable households across the country.
In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula, Governor Alia said the First Lady’s “commitment to humanity, compassion and service” has translated into tangible support for women, youths, widows, orphans, senior citizens and other at-risk groups.
Governor Alia’s message focused on the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), the First Lady’s flagship social-investment platform launched in 2023 to complement President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The Benue Governor highlighted RHI’s economic-empowerment interventions, especially assistance to petty traders and small-scale entrepreneurs, as opening new opportunities for Nigerians to shore up livelihoods and improve family welfare.
Recent RHI programmes have distributed business assets such as freezers, cookers, generators and grinding machines, alongside cash grants, to thousands of women in the South-East and other zones.
Governor Alia also pointed to the First Lady’s health and education work: medical outreaches; aid to communities hit by violence; support for the elderly; maternal-health advocacy; promotion of the HPV vaccine; and efforts to improve menstrual hygiene for schoolgirls.
The RHI has run food-outreach schemes for persons with disabilities and vulnerable groups since March 2024, and recently rolled out a National Community Food Bank Programme for the South-East.
“Investing in Human Capital,” Governor Says
“We appreciate your humanitarian interventions, particularly your assistance to our communities affected by armed herdsmen attacks and other difficult circumstances,” Alia said in the statement.
He added: “Your efforts to keep girls in school, expand opportunities for young people and promote skills acquisition demonstrate a sustained interest in investing in the human capital of the country.”
The Governor said the First Lady’s focus on women, youths and children remains a “valuable contribution to the development of the country.
Governor Alia prayed that God would continue to guide and bless the First Lady, wishing her “many more years of good health, wisdom, strength and fulfilment in service to the nation.”
