The First Lady Oluremi Tinubu convened a meeting with governors’ wives from across the nation and the FCT representative. During the meeting, she urged the governors’ wives to collaborate and support President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for good governance, emphasizing the need for a unified effort to address issues affecting citizens.
Commending the governors’ wives for their projects and initiatives aimed at assisting the vulnerable in society, the First Lady stressed the importance of state leaders, even those from opposition parties, aligning with the presidential agenda.
The meeting served as a platform for the First Lady to share insights and experiences from her recent trips to other nations. She believed such exchanges would enhance her preparedness for the responsibilities ahead.
Discussing critical issues affecting the nation, the First Lady highlighted the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria. Citing data from the Ministry of Health and the Nigeria HIV/AIDS Indicator and Impact Survey, she revealed that approximately 1.98 million people in the country are living with HIV/AIDS. Of this number, 1.8 million are adults aged 15 years and above, with 1.1 million being adult women. Alarmed by these statistics, the First Lady deemed them embarrassing and unacceptable.
In response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, President Tinubu’s administration has taken proactive steps. Tinubu secured financial grants from the Global Fund to provide HIV testing kits for adults and dual testing kits for HIV and Syphilis for pregnant women nationwide. The First Lady emphasized the collaborative efforts needed, involving governors’ wives and other stakeholders, to achieve the goal of ending HIV/AIDS in Nigeria by 2030.
The meeting concluded with a call for a united front in the fight against the HIV/AIDS epidemic, echoing the success achieved in addressing previous health crises such as the Ebola Virus and the COVID-19 pandemic. The theme for the 2023 World AIDS Day, “Let Communities Lead,” will guide advocacy efforts reaching traditional rulers, religious leaders, community leaders, educational institutions, and every corner of the nation.