Oluremi Tinubu empowers 1,000 women, inaugurates industrial leather hub in Lagos

… Lagos to earn $250 million annually from leather hub — Sanwo-Olu

The First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, who is also the National Chairman of the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), on Saturday reaffirmed her commitment to women empowerment and enterprise development as she empowered 1,000 women in Lagos and also commissioned a new industrial leather hub in the Mushin area of the state.

The First Lady, while speaking at the Renewed Hope Initiative Empowerment Programme held at the Lagos House, Ikeja, themed: ‘Empowering Women for Self-Reliance and SDGs Acceleration’, commended Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for boosting the programme with an additional 500 empowerment items, raising the number of beneficiaries in Lagos to 1,000 women, compared to 500 in other states.

This was just as she disclosed that over 18,500 women across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones will ultimately benefit from the initiative.

The Saturday’s empowerment was done simultaneously for women in each state in the South-West geo-political, namely, Ekiti, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo and Lagos, in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, which prioritises inclusivity, economic growth, and sustainable development for all Nigerians, particularly women economic empowerment.

According to Senator Tinubu, the empowerment of women in all spheres of life is also central to achieving all the SDGs, saying the items being distributed at the occasion, including gas cookers, grinding machines, chest freezers, generators, and hair dryers, were to equip the affected women with the necessary tools and resources they needed to build successful businesses and to contribute to the prosperity of the country.

“I am pleased to learn that our amiable Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu has supported this programme with an additional 500 empowerment items, which brings the total number of beneficiaries in Lagos State to 1,000 women. I commend Mr. Governor for this gesture and his commitment to the growth and development of women in Lagos State.

“Recognising the critical role women play in nation-building, this programme aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which prioritises inclusivity, economic growth, and sustainable development for all Nigerians, particularly women’s economic empowerment.

“Similarly, the empowerment of women in all spheres of life is central to achieving all the SDGs, especially SDG-5 on “achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls” and SDG-8 on “decent work and economic growth,” which are all relevant to the purpose of this gathering.

“The items being distributed today are to equip our women with the necessary tools and resources they need to build successful businesses and to contribute to the prosperity of our great nation,” she stated.

The First Lady, while advising the beneficiaries to use the resources judiciously to grow their businesses, stated that the items served as a foundation for creating a better life for themselves and their families.

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, in her speech, said the programme aligned with SDGs 1, 2, 5, 6, and 10, emphasising that financially empowered women would not only improve their families’ welfare but also accelerate national growth and community development.

Governor Sanwo-Olu praised Tinubu for her decades-long commitment to good governance and women’s development, urging the beneficiaries to resist the temptation of selling their empowerment items.

The governor said that the ceremony was far more than the distribution of support to 1,000 women, but sowing the seed that “will grow into forests of possibility.

“Your Excellency, our mother, our beloved First Lady, words are certainly not enough to capture the depths of our gratitude that we feel towards you for your timeless commitment to the empowerment of women across our nation.

“For decades, some of us will listen and we have watched you, we’ve heard your voice, your voice of courage, you’ve been a pillar of strength and a beacon of hope for women and children.

“Your life words have shown that this empowerment is not just charity, it is justice, it is opportunity and it is nation building. Across the nation, you have crisscrossed, you have gone to several parts and we’re beginning to see the effects of the interventions that you are doing.

“This ceremony which is the empowerment of 1,000 women, is far more than the distribution of support, it is sowing the seed that will grow into forests of possibility,” Sanwo-Olu stated.

In a related development, Senator Tinubu inaugurated the Lagos State Government’s industrial leather hub in Matori, Mushin, describing it as a milestone project that would strengthen small and medium enterprises, expand local manufacturing, and position Lagos as Africa’s leading leather hub.

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who named the industrial leather hub after Senator Oluremi Tinubu, noted the project would provide export earnings in excess of $250 million annually when fully operational.

Governor Sanwo-Olu, following the commissioning, hides and skins that once left the nation’s shores unprocessed would be transformed in the state into world-class footwear, garments, and accessories proudly stamped “Made in Lagos, Made in Nigeria.”

According to him, through that, over 10,000 direct and indirect jobs will be created in the first three years, with 70% of them reserved for women and youth, adding: “More than 150,000 artisans will benefit from cutting-edge training and start-up support, ensuring no talent is left behind.”

“Export earnings in excess of $250 million are projected annually when the hub is fully operational, positioning Lagos as the leather logistics capital of West Africa.

“But beyond the numbers lies a deeper promise, the promise that a young girl from a modest background can now dream bigger, knowing that the tools, the mentorship, and the market are within her reach,” the governor said.

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