Remi Tinubu Boosts Creative Education for Nigerian Children with N100m

Folalumi Alaran writes that the Wife of the President, Senator OluremiTinubu has donated N100 million to boost education of Nigerian children.

Wife of the President, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, on Wednesday night announced a donation of N100 million on behalf of her Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) to the Five Cowries Arts Education Initiative, in a significant boost  towards enhancing creative education for Nigerian children.

The donation was unveiled at a Charity Gala Night organized by the Spouses of Heads of Mission in Nigeria at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja, in support of the arts-based educational programme.

The First Lady said: “On behalf of the Renewed Hope Initiative, we pledge N100 million in support of the Five Cowries Arts Education Initiative. Your support will help unlock the creativity, talent, and potential of countless Nigerian children who deserve the opportunity to thrive and succeed”

Commending the efforts of the Spouses of Heads of Mission in Nigeria, MrsTinubu expressed deep appreciation for their service and commitment to the country’s most vulnerable.

According to her: “Your decision to use your time in Nigeria not just to accompany your spouses, but to actively serve and empower the most vulnerable in our society, is encouraging and well-appreciated. You are no longer just on official assignment in our country, but worthy partners in progress”.

She also applauded the founder of the Five Cowries initiative, Ms. Polly Alakija, for her decades-long dedication to arts and education in Nigeria.

Her words: “I applaud the vision and dedication behind the Five Cowries Arts Education Initiative. Ms. Polly Alakija has dedicated over three decades of experience in the arts and education to nurturing our future generation”.

Linking the initiative’s goals to her own longstanding advocacy in education, the First Lady reiterated her belief that “education is the foundation for true national development,” and highlighted several of the RHI’s interventions since its inception in 2023 under the administration of President Bola  Tinubu.

She listed the interventions to include scholarships, bursaries, and infrastructural investments.

“Through partnerships with AUDA-NEPAD, forty-three students are currently enrolled at the African School of Economics,” MrsTinubu said, adding that another seven students have been sponsored to study in Belarus, while 47 indigent students across Nigeria now benefit from annual scholarships worth N1 million each.

She further disclosed that 5,100 bursary awards have been disbursed to female students in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Education, and that 40 Alternative High Schools for Girls have been established in collaboration with UBEC.

“These schools provide a second opportunity for girls and young women who have dropped out due to early pregnancy or child marriage to go back to school, acquire skills, and advance their educational goals”.

In addition to infrastructure and scholarships, the First Lady emphasized RHI’s attention to basic education support and menstrual hygiene.

“We have distributed over two million exercise books to public primary and junior secondary students nationwide. €We also recently launched ‘Flow with Confidence,’ which provides a year’s supply of disposable menstrual pads to girls in rural communities,” she said.

MrsTinubu called on individuals and organizations to contribute to the Five Cowries initiative, saying, “Whether through financial donations, advocacy, or partnerships, your support will make a difference.”

Spouse of the High Commissioner of Jamaica and representative of the event organizers, Lucrecia Downer, explained that the gala aimed to raise additional funds to strengthen art education across the country.

Earlier in her speech, co-founder and CEO of the Five Cowries Arts Education Initiative, Alakija shared her vision to expand art education across Africa, emphasizing the transformative power of creativity in learning.

According to her, arts and culture should not be exclusive to the privileged but accessible to all children, as they foster essential soft skills, resilience, and community development.

Drawing from her own upbringing steeped in arts and culture, Alakija expressed her commitment to bringing joy and opportunity to children through creative education, which she believes is foundational for personal and national growth.

She also announced a new partnership with the National Gallery of Art to support its Saturday Club, aiming to make Nigerian art accessible to all children, including those out of school.