The First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has called for active collaboration between traditional rulers and stakeholders in the fight against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), HIV/AIDS, syphilis, and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), HIV/AIDS, syphilis, in the country.
Speaking in Ibadan, Oyo State, during a meeting with the State’s Traditional Rulers Council ahead of her inauguration of a Community ICT Centre, Senator Tinubu emphasised the critical role traditional leaders play in eradicating harmful practices and promoting public health awareness.
According to a statement signed by the First Lady’s spokesperson, Busola Kukoyi, she decried the persistent prevalence of FGM in the South-West region, describing it as a deeply rooted cultural practice that must be abolished through the will and commitment of royal fathers. “With your influence and leadership, these harmful traditions can be ended once and for all,” the First Lady said.
Senator Tinubu also lamented the damaging effects of poor enlightenment on HIV/AIDS among the youth, urging monarchs to initiate strategies that will expand public knowledge and improve prevention and management of such life-threatening diseases.
Following her meeting with the royal fathers, the First Lady inaugurated a newly completed Community ICT Centre located at Oladipo Alayande School of Science, Oke Bola, Ibadan.
The centre was built through a partnership between the Renewed Hope Initiative and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).
During the ceremony, Senator Tinubu noted that the centre symbolises a key step in the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration’s goal of bridging Nigeria’s digital divide and empowering citizens, especially women and youth.
“The knowledge of ICT is a powerful tool for community empowerment. It enables women and girls to overcome traditional barriers, access educational opportunities, and participate meaningfully in the global economy,” she said. She also revealed that this is the third ICT Centre commissioned, with the fourth—located in Benue State—nearing completion.
Digital Economy Centres, fully equipped with computers and ICT materials, have already been completed in Cross River, Ebonyi, Jigawa, Niger, Oyo, and the Federal Capital Territory. Ten additional centres in other states are expected to be commissioned soon.
Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, who joined the First Lady at the commissioning, commended the initiative, stressing the importance of such interventions in harnessing artificial intelligence and digital technologies to diversify the nation’s economy beyond oil.
Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, urged beneficiaries of the centre to seize the opportunity to develop skills that will allow them to compete globally.
In his remarks, NITDA Director General, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, disclosed that ICT skills acquisition programmes have now been embedded into school curricula to help meet President Tinubu’s mandate of closing Nigeria’s digital gap.
He also encouraged the centre’s management to extend its services to other members of the community to maximize its impact.
The commissioning ceremony marks another step in the federal government’s digital inclusion agenda under the Renewed Hope Initiative.
