Oluremi Tinubu named ‘More Than A Mother’ campaign ambassador
…reaffirms commitment to education
By Kunle Sanni
First Lady Oluremi Tinubu has reaffirmed that education remains the foundation of national development, emphasizing the urgent need to empower young Nigerians through greater access to learning opportunities.
She made this statement while receiving the management team of the Merck Foundation, a German philanthropic organization, at the State House in Abuja on Wednesday. During the visit, she was officially named the “More Than A Mother” Campaign Ambassador by the Foundation, in recognition of her contributions to education, women’s empowerment, and youth development.
Senator Tinubu highlighted her ongoing efforts through the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), which provides scholarships and seeks to expand access to quality education. She described education as a vital tool for ensuring a sustainable and prosperous future for Nigeria.
“Once you have an educated population, the country will grow in leaps and bounds,” she said. “It would be a disaster to hand over the future to an uneducated generation.”
She also commended the Merck Foundation for its contributions to Nigeria’s health and education sectors—particularly its scholarships in reproductive and fertility medicine—adding that infertility and its associated stigma remain significant challenges in African societies.
Chairman of the Merck Foundation, Prof. Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp, praised the First Lady’s initiatives, noting that her commitment to empowering women and promoting girls’ education aligns with the Foundation’s mission.
“Nigeria is very important to us. We started the Merck Foundation out of a passion to give back to Africa. We focus especially on empowering women and helping young girls overcome barriers, including the stigma of infertility,” he said.
Merck Foundation CEO, Dr. Rasha Kelej, also expressed the organization’s desire to collaborate with the Renewed Hope Initiative to expand interventions in women’s health, education, and social empowerment.
