The First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, has urged wives of state governors to complement President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for good governance to spread across the board.
She gave the admonition while receiving the wives of governors across the nation and the FCT representative in the Presidential Villa on Thursday.
She said it was imperative for state leaders, especially those in opposition parties, to work with the presidential agenda in tackling issues affecting the citizenry.
The First Lady lauded the wives of governors for their personal projects and initiatives in their various states to assist the vulnerable in society.
She said part of the reasons she called for the meeting was to update the forum and share her experiences from her trips to other nations with them, as “such will help me to position myself appropriately for the task ahead.”
The first lady further said that the administration of President Tinubu had set machinery in motion to ensure that a lasting legacy was left behind for generations and those yet unborn.
“I am delighted to welcome you all to this meeting, it has become imperative for us to have this forum so that I can update you on issues especially as they affect our nation.
“Some of the things I discovered were that HIV/AIDS is still very prevalent in Nigeria. Estimates from the 2023 Spectrum by the Ministry of Health, the Nigeria HIV/AIDS Indicator and Impact Survey revealed that about 1.98 million persons are living with HIV/AIDS in the country.
“Adults aged 15 years and above make up about 1.8 million People Living with HIV (PLWHIV), of which 1.1 million are adult women; equally, one in seven babies born in the world is a Nigerian Child.
“Underscoring the significance of the nation’s role in the global fight against AIDS, Children contribute 23 per cent of new HIV infections in Nigeria, almost four times more than the eight per cent contribution of key populations according to Mode of Transmission Study.’
“These statistics are alarming, embarrassing, and unacceptable.’’
According to the first lady, Tinubu had secured financial grants from Global Fund for the provision of HIV testing kits for adults and dual testing kits for HIV and Syphilis for pregnant women across the country.
She added, “I got the agreement of the Minister for Health, Prof. Ali Pate on a partnership with the Renewed Hope Initiative to increase advocacy on the HIV/AIDS epidemic, also working with wives of governors to ensure that Nigeria achieves an end to HIV/AIDS by the year 2030.
“We must come together with a unifying message to fight this hydra-headed monster and save the future of our nation. We did it during the Ebola Virus and Covid-19 pandemic.
“As the theme for the 2023 World AIDS Day indicates: ‘Let Communities Lead,’ we will be taking the advocacy to our traditional rulers, religious leaders of various faiths, community leaders, educational institutions, and the nooks and crannies of the nation.’’
(NAN)
