Oluremi Tinubu and Nonye Soludo present shining examples

Last week, Nigeria’s first lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, donated 1 billion naira to victims of violent attack in Plateau State. While emphasizing that the source of this donation was through the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) and not from government coffers nor budget, the first lady had this to say to the people of Plateau: ‘’I do not have vast sums of money, but what I have is meant to bring life, not to pour money into a basket. If I kept money for personal gain, it would only serve to satisfy greed. But my goal is to use the resources I have for good, for the development of this country, not to waste them.”

Senator Oluremi Tinubu went on to offer some advice to community leaders in the Plateau and words of encouragement to the victims of the attack. Senator Tinubu emphasized that she hoped that her next visit would be to enjoy the beautiful land of the Plateau and not because of issues related to the kind of attack that was witnessed in Plateau. In his remark, the governor of Plateau State, Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang, highlighted what his administration was doing to end the herder–farmer crisis, attacks and community crisis in Plateau State which have existed for many decades, but metamorphosed into violent and recurring conflict around the early 2000s – now bearing semblance to what some commentators refer to as ‘calculated attack by organized armed groups’ perpetrated by criminals. (Some history literatures have even traced the roots of this conflict to century old competition over land and grazing routes). The first lady’s gesture of love and compassion was appreciated by the people of Plateau, especially by the state governor, who has also received enormous support from President Bola Tinubu.

In a similar appreciation for the good work of people who have built bridges and touched lives through gestures of compassion, the Humanitarian Achievements and Outreach Foundation announced, after a nationwide voting exercise, Nonye Soludo, wife of the governor of Anambra State, as the winner of the First Lady of the Year Award in Healthcare & Child Support. This announcement did not come as a surprise to many. Through her pet project, Nonye Soludo has encouraged residents of Anambra to make healthy lifestyle changes through exercise and healthy nutrition. She has used her personal resources to aggressively fight maternal and child malnutrition through her specially formulated pap, which is distributed free of charge to the people who need it the most.

Senator Oluremi Tinubu and Nonye Soludo have shown how first ladies can fill social service gaps in the polity. They, and other hardworking first ladies, have shown how advocacy and visibility of first ladies can help speed up social and behavioral change. The work being done by these impactful first ladies show how important their advocacy and social service can be.

Some commentators have argued that because first ladies have no legal and constitutional mandate, their roles and work raise issues bordering on transparency, funding and accountability. Critics also argue that some first ladies ran elitist and expensive pet projects – which faded after their term in office – and were funded by the state. Other critics have accused some first ladies of interfering in political appointments, party dynamics and government decisions, despite not holding elective positions. Interestingly, in a typical example to show that public figures will ever be criticized no matter what position they take, some first ladies, especially during the military era, who maintained very low profiles, were accused of inactivity and critics argue that they missed the opportunity to influence positive social change.

In the case of Senator Oluremi Tinubu, she has shown the very pivotal role that can be played by first ladies in soft diplomacy in the global stage. Senator Oluremi Tinubu have continuously engaged in soft diplomacy and has worked with development partners in fostering social progress. Forums like the African First Ladies Peace Mission help in this advocacy.

Through their advocacy and foundations, some first ladies have helped to bring issues related to cancer screening, widow empowerment, child and maternal health, plight of IDPs, illegal migration, gender-based violence, child marriage and education for girls to the fore. Their personal efforts have helped to fill social service gaps in the polity.

Nonye Soludo and Oluremi Tinubu have shown that the influence of first ladies helps in social progress and that this can be done through modest, decent, matured and constitutional ways. These first ladies present shining examples.

This column believes that strengthening the institutional framework around the roles of first ladies and their projects could maximize impact while minimizing controversy.

Nwankwo is the special adviser to Soludo on special projects