First Lady Oluremi Tinubu has reaffirmed her commitment to improving the health and education of women and girls in Nigeria.

First Lady Oluremi Tinubu has reaffirmed her dedication to championing the health and education of women and girls across  the country.

She pledged to expand the support through her office and ongoing national initiatives.

She made the commitment at the 7th MERCK Foundation First Ladies Initiative (FLI) Summit  in Dubai, UAE yesterday.

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 It was during the commemoration of  the Foundation’s 13th anniversary.

Speaking alongside First Ladies from 13 other nations, Senator Tinubu praised the MERCK Foundation’s commitment to training medical professionals across Africa and Asia, highlighting its impact on healthcare access and the advancement of girl-child education.

“I agree that this is a highly beneficial programme for our country, and I am committed to expanding it further through my office and the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare. By doing so, we will be able to empower more Nigerian doctors, ultimately enhancing public healthcare and improving the well-being of our people”, the First Lady stated.

Drawing on her background as a lifelong teacher and her leadership of the Renewed Hope Initiative, Senator Tinubu emphasized that empowering girls through education is foundational to building stronger and healthier societies.

According to a statement  by her Senior Special Assistant on Media, Busola Kukoyi, the First Lady noted “through the Renewed Hope Initiative, which I chair, we have continually made interventions in education and youth empowerment, prioritising girl-child education”.

The First Lady also hailed the MERCK Foundation for its extensive scholarship programme that has supported over 2,270 medical practitioners across 52 countries in 44 critical healthcare specialties.

She praised the Foundation’s efforts, particularly its approach to equipping doctors to establish clinics and deliver care directly within their communities.

“Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of the MERCK Foundation has explained to me that upon completing these courses, the doctors will have the capability to establish clinics within their respective health centers or hospitals. They will be able to provide essential care, helping to prevent a nd manage these conditions within their own communities,” she said.

The summit served as a platform for African First Ladies to discuss ongoing challenges and progress in improving health systems, eliminating gender-based violence, and championing education for girls.

Representatives from Ghana, Senegal, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Kenya, Angola, Liberia, Maldives, Central African Republic, Cape Verde, the Gambia, Gabon, Angola, and São Tomé and Príncipe echoed similar commitments to expanding the role of women in both domestic and public life, despite cultural and financial constraints.

Chairman of the MERCK Foundation, Dr. Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp, reaffirmed the Foundation’s mission of inclusivity and access, declaring that “girls’ education is not a luxury” and stressing the need to end systemic discrimination.

“We are building a critical arm of the MERCK Programme to support girls in education,” he said.

 Dr. Kelej reiterated the Foundation’s dedication to creating a robust medical workforce across the continent and ensuring more girls have access to quality education.

“We will continue to strengthen our initiatives in educating the girl child and supporting medical training that transforms communities,” she said.

In addition to its healthcare-focused efforts, the Foundation’s Educating Linda initiative has provided full scholarships to 956 girls across Africa.

Its Community Awareness Programs have also targeted stigma around infertility, domestic violence, and the growing prevalence of diabetes and hypertension.

The summit concluded with renewed commitments by attending First Ladies to deepen collaboration with the MERCK Foundation and intensify advocacy for women’s health and empowerment across their respective countries.