Tinubu’s wife urges policies to empower rural women

Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has called for concrete action and inclusive policies to improve the welfare and opportunities of rural women.

She made the call on Wednesday at a symposium organised by the Association of Wives of FCT Traditional Rulers (WOFCTTRA) in Abuja to mark the 2026 International Day of Rural Women.

The event, organised in collaboration with the FCT Women Affairs Secretariat, was themed, “Harnessing the Influence of Wives of Traditional Rulers to Advance Gender Equity, Peacebuilding, and Sustainable Community Development in Rural Communities of FCT.”

Represented by a former All Progressives Congress women leader in the FCT, Mrs Hilmary Aipoh, the First Lady commended rural women for their resilience and urged members of WOFCTTRA to use their influence to improve their lives.

She said efforts to recognise rural women should go beyond verbal appreciation to providing opportunities for gender equity, economic empowerment and peacebuilding.

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“Rural women remain the backbone of local economies and cultural preservation, yet continue to face significant systemic hurdles,” she said.

“Many rural women still face barriers to education, healthcare, land ownership, finance, and participation in decision-making. Recognising their contributions must translate into greater opportunities, protection, and inclusion.”

Tinubu described traditional rulers as custodians of culture and said their wives had strong grassroots networks through market associations, women’s groups and youth organisations.

“Your influence is a privilege, but it is also a responsibility. You can help your husbands better understand the everyday challenges of the people they serve,” she said.

She urged the royal wives to promote girls’ education, discourage harmful traditional practices, encourage women’s participation in community decision-making and help resolve local disputes.

Earlier, the Queen of Abaji Chiefdom and President of WOFCTTRA, Hajiya Hauwa Adamu, described rural women as a foundation of national development.

“If you develop the city and forget the village, you have built a house without foundation,” she said.

Adamu announced plans to establish Rural Women Safe Motherhood Clubs across the six area councils of the FCT, alongside a Palace-Based Peacebuilding Network to report gender-based violence and facilitate mediation.

She called for collaboration with the Renewed Hope Initiative and sought support for the establishment of an FCT Rural Women Traditional Institution Desk to ensure that concerns raised in royal palaces reached decision-makers.

“When a young girl in Kwali says she does not want early marriage but wants school, she runs to the Queen’s palace, not to the police station. When there is misunderstanding between husband and wife in Bwari, it is the wife of the chief they call,” she said.

The Permanent Secretary of the FCT Women Affairs Secretariat, Hajiya Asmau Mukhtar, said the administration remained committed to improving rural women’s welfare and livelihoods, adding that no woman would be left behind.

Also speaking, the President of Helpline Social Support Initiative (HSSI), Dr Jumai Ahmadu, represented by the organisation’s Programme Officer, Mrs Amina Omale, called for greater attention to grassroots development, peacebuilding and gender equality.