I want to be case study for young girls — Tinubu’s wife

The First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has said she hopes to serve as a case study for young girls, noting that there is a growing lack of such figures in the present generation.

Mrs Tinubu made this known on Thursday at the inauguration of the Sen. Oluremi Tinubu Dream Centre at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State.

The Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Centre was built by the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, in collaboration with the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).

“All along, I have been thinking that I should be a case study for young girls.

“They talk about the girl child all the time, but nowadays people no longer have role models.

“We live in an age where, even when people are doing well, out of envy, many untrue things are said about them on the internet.

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“And our young people do not really see many people to emulate,” she said.

The First Lady added that role models played a key role in shaping her life and urged young girls to learn to dream positively.

She recalled that she had aspired to become a teacher while growing up and eventually achieved that goal.

“As young as I was then, just like the two girls who welcomed me here, I knew I wanted to be a teacher, and I ended up being one,” she said.

Tinubu explained that the ICT centre had long been a place of dreams for her, adding that the Dream Centre would tell her life story and inspire young people.

“There will be a room called the storytelling room. That is where I will talk about my story.

“This centre is not for girls alone; it is also for boys. We have books and materials that we brought in.

“Some will be given out for free, while others will be kept in a small library where you can read and leave,” she said.

She also advised young girls not to be overly ambitious, stressing that whatever they would become had already been deposited in them by God.

In his remarks, the Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Abdullahi, said the centre would serve as a hub for digital technology, artificial intelligence, and storytelling aimed at preserving history.

“This is a unique centre that converts the power of technology and storytelling to preserve our history, so that our younger ones and generations to come will have access to our history and the tools to navigate their lives.

“Without history, it will be difficult to pass knowledge to this generation and the next.

“This centre is designed to preserve the life and history of our First Lady, and we thank Kabiyesi for building it,” he said.

Ooni of Ife commended the First Lady for her commitment to educational development, noting that the centre would preserve her legacy within and beyond his lifetime.

(NAN)