By Palma Ileye
The Director-General of the Maryam Babangida National Centre for Women Development (MBNCWD) and immediate past FCT Coordinator of the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), Dr. Adedayo Benjamins-Laniyi, has described the programme as a movement that has transformed compassion into measurable impact across Nigeria.
Speaking at the celebration of three years of the Renewed Hope Initiative in the Federal Capital Territory, themed “Our Stories – Her Impact”, held at the Presidential Banquet Hall, State House, Abuja, Benjamins-Laniyi said the initiative has restored hope to millions of Nigerians through targeted interventions in economic empowerment, healthcare, education, and social welfare.
She emphasized that under the leadership of First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu, the initiative has shown that governance can have a human face and compassion can be institutionalised to improve lives. “I have been in the communities where these interventions were delivered. I have seen women who came with nothing but quiet desperation leave with something they had almost forgotten they possessed — hope,” she said.
Benjamins-Laniyi stressed that development is not ultimately about numbers but about people, citing examples of widows rebuilding their lives, young girls staying in school, and women moving from dependency to productivity. Since its establishment in 2023, she said, the Renewed Hope Initiative has evolved into a movement of dignity and opportunity, touching millions of lives through programmes in women’s empowerment, agriculture, youth development, healthcare, and social investments.
Highlighting achievements in the FCT, she noted that women had benefited from ICT and digital skills training in partnership with NITDA, while farmers, persons with disabilities, elderly citizens, and disaster victims had also received support. Young people were engaged in environmental awareness programmes, and rural women were empowered through targeted interventions to ensure inclusiveness.
She commended First Lady Oluremi Tinubu for elevating the traditional influence of the Office of the First Lady into tangible impact, saying: “The stories we celebrate today are evidence that compassion can shape policy and governance can still carry hope.”
Benjamins-Laniyi also acknowledged the contributions of the Queen Mothers of the 17 tribal chiefdoms in the FCT, who ensured interventions reached vulnerable households, as well as the wives of Area Council Chairmen who mobilised communities and identified families in need. She paid tribute to the pioneer FCT Women Affairs team, her personal staff, and partners such as UN Women Nigeria, whose support strengthened the reach and effectiveness of interventions.
The event, marking three years of the Renewed Hope Initiative, brought together government officials, traditional rulers, development partners, women leaders, beneficiaries, and other stakeholders to celebrate stories of transformation and impact.
