Wife of the President, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, on Tuesday presented ₦47 million and laptops to 47 beneficiaries of her Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) scholarship programme, reaffirming her commitment to education and youth empowerment.
Each student, drawn from tertiary institutions across the country, received ₦1 million and a laptop to support their academic pursuits. The beneficiaries include five in 400 level, 39 in 300 level, two in 200 level, and one in ND II, studying disciplines ranging from medicine, law, and engineering to education, sciences, and humanities.
Addressing the recipients, Mrs Tinubu said the scheme was about service to humanity rather than politics. She urged the students to combine academic excellence with skills acquisition and entrepreneurship.
“This is not about politics, it is about people’s lives. It is not the number but raising good and successful students who will be productive and contribute to society,” she said.
She added that the programme, launched in 2023, would be sustained and expressed hope it would continue beyond the current administration.
The event also featured contributions from the Wife of the Vice President, Hajia Nana Shettima, who encouraged the beneficiaries to remain focused, and the Wife of the Imo State Governor, Mrs Chioma Uzodimma, who advised them to save and build confidence. Similarly, the Wife of the Kwara State Governor, Ambassador Olufolake Abdulrazaq, urged students uninterested in entrepreneurship to explore research assistance opportunities.
Minister of Education, Dr Olatunji Alausa, commended the initiative for complementing government efforts, highlighting that the Tinubu administration had awarded over ₦10 billion in bursaries to more than 12,000 students and ₦4 billion in scholarships to 8,535 students in the past two years. He also noted the impact of the Nigeria Education Loan Fund, which has supported over 500,000 students with ₦100 billion in disbursements.
Director General of NITDA, Kashifu Abdullahi, described the RHI scholarship as “a life-changing package” that would nurture talent and bridge educational gaps across the country.
