First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu has called on traditional rulers across the country to lend their voices and influence toward the total eradication of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), HIV/AIDS, syphilis, and hepatitis.
Speaking in Ibadan during her visit to the Oyo State Council of Traditional Rulers, the First Lady stressed that these health challenges could be tackled more effectively through the active involvement of cultural custodians and other key stakeholders.
Senator Tinubu, who was in the state to commission a new Community ICT Centre under the Renewed Hope Initiative in partnership with the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), described FGM as a harmful traditional practice that has persisted largely due to cultural acceptance.
She lamented its high prevalence in South-West Nigeria and emphasized the role traditional rulers can play in dismantling the cultural endorsement of the practice.
According to a statement by her Senior Special Assistant on Media, Busola Kukoyi, the First Lady said: “The continued existence of FGM and the spread of HIV/AIDS, syphilis, and hepatitis are public health crises that thrive on ignorance and silence.
“Our revered traditional rulers have the moral authority to shift these harmful narratives and promote healthier, more informed communities.”
The First Lady further urged the monarchs to intensify efforts in promoting awareness and preventive education among the youth, particularly on sexually transmitted infections.
She emphasised the importance of grassroots engagement and sustained advocacy to ensure that these threats are confronted with cultural sensitivity and communal support.
Later in the day, Senator Tinubu inaugurated a state-of-the-art Community ICT Center located at Oladipo Alayande School of Science, Oke Bola, Ibadan.
The center, established by NITDA in collaboration with her Renewed Hope Initiative, is the third of its kind to be commissioned under the digital inclusion project.
Describing the project as a landmark in the administration’s broader agenda to empower citizens through digital literacy, the First Lady highlighted the center’s potential to transform lives, particularly among women and youth.
“This center marks another milestone in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration’s efforts to bridge the digital divide.
“ICT knowledge empowers communities—especially women—to break traditional barriers, pursue education, and access opportunities in the global digital economy”, she said.
She also disclosed that the fourth center in Benue State is nearing completion, and similar centers have been equipped in Cross River, Ebonyi, Jigawa, Niger, Oyo, and the Federal Capital Territory.
Additional centers in ten more states—including Abia, Delta, Edo, Kano, Katsina, Lagos, Nasarawa, Ondo, Yobe, and Zamfara—are expected to be commissioned soon.
Governor Seyi Makinde, who joined the First Lady at the commissioning, lauded the federal intervention, stating that the initiative aligns with the state’s drive to encourage technology-driven economic diversification and youth innovation.
Minister of Communication, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, urged beneficiaries of the centre to take full advantage of the facility.
“This is more than just a building with computers; it is a gateway for Nigerians to compete globally,” he said.
Director General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, encouraged the center’s management to make the facility accessible to the wider community.
He also revealed that ICT skill acquisition has been integrated into the school curriculum to align with President Tinubu’s mandate of closing the national digital gap.
Madukwe B. Nwabuisi is an accomplished journalist renown for his fearless reporting style and extensive expertise in the field. He is an investigative journalist, who has established himself as a kamikaze reporter.
