The First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, said on Saturday that Nigeria's security challenges will be overcome through sustained federal efforts, support from security agencies and international collaboration, during her first official state visit to Ekiti State.
Speaking at the Government House in Ado Ekiti while meeting with the Ekiti State Traditional Rulers' Council, Tinubu said the country is too big to be intimidated by non-state actors. She described the security situation as distressing but expressed optimism about ongoing interventions, noting that President Bola Tinubu is working tirelessly to curb insecurity.
Tinubu said most of the people causing unrest in the country are non-Nigerians, adding that some security information is highly classified. She noted that the United States, France and other developed countries are helping Nigeria tackle the problem. "Nigeria, because of her nature as a blessed country, you can see the beauty from Ekiti. Nigeria is too great to be intimidated," she said.
She urged Nigerians, particularly women, to remain prayerful and expressed confidence that the country's security challenges would soon be resolved. "God remains faithful," she said.
The Chairman of the Ekiti State Traditional Rulers' Council, Oba Adu Adejimi Alagbado, the Ogoga of Ikere Ekiti, commended President Tinubu for initiatives aimed at improving citizens' welfare. He also urged urgent steps to address kidnapping and other security concerns affecting Ekiti and other parts of the country.
During the visit, Tinubu distributed a ₦100 million Business Recapitalisation Grant to 2,000 women petty traders in Ekiti State. Each beneficiary received ₦50,000. She said the intervention was designed to support small businesses, strengthen household incomes and boost economic activity.
Tinubu was accompanied by the Wife of the Vice President, Hajiya Nana Shettima; APC National Women Leader, Dr Mary Alile Idele; and the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim. She also appealed for support for Governor Biodun Oyebanji's re-election bid. The governor's wife, Dr Olayemi Oyebanji, alongside other governors' wives and political leaders, urged support for Oyebanji in the upcoming election and for President Tinubu in 2027.
Tinubu highlighted several interventions under the Renewed Hope Initiative. In June 2024, her office distributed 10,000 exercise books to public schools in Ekiti. She also said 5,100 bursaries were distributed in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Education, with Ekiti benefiting 100 slots. Another 1,500 scholarships are planned for 2025, with Ekiti allocated 40 slots for students from 200 level to PhD level.
Other initiatives include the launch of an Environment Club and Society in Ekiti in November 2025, and the distribution of 10,000 packs of sanitary pads to schoolgirls under the "Flow with Confidence" initiative.
During the visit, Tinubu commissioned a TETFund-sponsored ICT Experience Centre at Ekiti State University. She announced cash rewards of ₦200 million for the two best graduating students of the institution.
