First Lady Oluremi Tinubu has donated 140,000 copies of seven storybooks on girl child development to the Federal Ministry of Education for distribution to public school libraries across the country.
The books, published by the Merck Foundation, were reproduced by the Office of the First Lady, with Tinubu writing the foreword as part of efforts to promote girl child education and instill positive values in young Nigerians.
This was disclosed in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the First Lady on Media, Busola Kukoyi, on Thursday, July 2.
Speaking during the handover ceremony in Abuja, the First Lady said the initiative reflects her commitment to empowering young girls through education while helping children develop values that would enable them to contribute meaningfully to society.
She noted that although the books focus on girl child development, they also contain lessons that would benefit boys.
According to her, the publications are designed to help children build confidence, empathy, healthy habits and a strong sense of equity and social responsibility.
“It gladdens my heart that I am able to partner with the Merck Foundation on this. They are quite small but meaningful compared to our population size, and they have been working with other African nations,” she said.
Tinubu explained that the Merck Foundation has become one of the international partners of her Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), adding that the organisation remains committed to improving healthcare, education and social development across Africa.
“We now use them as RHI international partners and they are committed to improving health care, education and social development across Africa,” she added.
The First Lady disclosed that the partnership had also yielded 91 medical scholarships for Nigerians aimed at strengthening the country’s healthcare sector.
“Through our partnership, the foundation has provided 91 medical scholarships that are helping to strengthen the health sector in Nigeria,” she said.
Tinubu stressed that quality education remains essential to helping girls overcome the challenges they face, noting that adequate support must be provided to enable them realise their full potential.
She also reaffirmed her commitment to improving the lives of ordinary Nigerians through interventions under the Renewed Hope Initiative.
While presenting the books to the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, for onward distribution to public school libraries, she expressed confidence that the ministry would ensure they reached children across the country.
“I am confident that the ministry will facilitate the effective distribution of the books to public school libraries across the country, ensuring that children from diverse backgrounds can benefit from their lessons,” she said.
Receiving the books, Alausa commended the First Lady for her continued investment in education and social development, describing the initiative as a valuable contribution to addressing issues affecting the girl child.
He said the books tackle critical subjects such as gender discrimination, sexual violence and the need to build confidence and positive values among girls.
The minister also praised Tinubu’s sustained support for Nigerians despite criticism and misinformation, noting that some of the ministry’s programmes were inspired by her earlier initiatives.
According to him, the “One Day Minister” initiative introduced during this year’s Children’s Day celebration was modelled after a similar programme she pioneered while serving as the wife of the Governor of Lagos State in 2007.
“I promise you that we will use these books and disseminate them across the country,” Alausa assured.
