By Ahmed ‘Lateef
The Director-General of Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS), Ilorin, Comrade Issa Aremu, has said that the first lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has advanced the cause of Nigerian women.
He said Mrs Tinubu helped women from the margin of token muted representation to the mainstream of development and poverty eradication through her Women Economic Empowerment Programmes in the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI).
Aremu spoke in Ilorin, on Saturday, on the occasion of 2025 town hall activities
to observe the International Women Day (IWD), which MINILS organized in partnership with the Kwara State Ministry of Women Affairs and Abuja based Development Research and Project Centre (dRPC).
This year’s IWD is themed “For All Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment.”
The MINILS boss said the theme served as a reminder on the need to reaffirm the global commitment to building a society where every woman, and girl can thrive.
He commended Senator Tinubu for her relentless leadership in mobilizing women for national development within the context of her novel pet project, Women Economic Empowerment Programmes: Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI).
Aremu, who cited various initiatives of the first lady that include direct N50,000 grant financial support for no fewer than 1,000 women petty traders across 36 States and FCT, inauguration of N25 million to the overall winner of the #oneNigeriaunityfabric competition, aimed at promoting indigenous fabric as symbol of national unity, promotion of Girl-Child education across the country, and promotion of competitive female subsistence with the incentive of N20million reward, however, said the most impactful of her intervention is the ongoing campaign to end tuberculosis scourge in Nigeria in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, and agencies like the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA.
“Tuberculosis is a disease of ignorance, poverty of knowledge and fear. First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu has commendably demystified the disease by adding her voice that it is preventable and curable free of charge, and that we Nigerians can halt the prevalence through early treatment”, he said.
Aremu recalled how through hard work and collaboration with development, Research and Projects Centre (dRPC) and Micheal Imodu Institute for Labour Studies (MINILs) a Women Economic Empowerment (WEE) policy became a reality in Kwara State.
He thanked the government of Kwara State, the dRPc for the intensive training for MINILS staff on how to support the government to implement the 8-step Model to domesticate the WEE policy and framework for inclusion, participation and respect for women in communities.
The United Nations earmarked March 8 as International Women’s Day (IWD) to celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women.
