In a significant boost to educational resources, the wife of Nigeria’s President, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has donated 50,000 notebooks to public primary schools in Kogi State. This donation, part of her “Renewed Hope Initiative,” was officially launched on Thursday by the wife of the Kogi State Governor, Hajia Sefinat Usman Ododo, at the Glass House, Government House Lokoja.

In her address, Hajia Ododo expressed her gratitude to the First Lady for her unwavering commitment to the development of education and the empowerment of children in public schools across Nigeria. She lauded Mrs. Tinubu’s visionary leadership and passion for ensuring quality education for all, highlighting the initiative as an inspiring model for others to follow.

“The ‘Renewed Hope Initiative’ is not just a donation but a symbol of the dedication of our First Lady to uplift the educational standards in our country,” Hajia Ododo remarked. She promised to emulate and support the First Lady’s efforts to achieve better educational outcomes in Kogi State and across Nigeria, noting that the notebooks are being distributed throughout all 36 states of the federation.

Hajia Ododo also urged the people of Kogi to continue supporting her husband’s administration to propel the state to greater heights. She reiterated the governor’s commitment to bridging gaps in the education sector and ensuring quality education for all children in the state. She encouraged the pupils to take their studies seriously and called on stakeholders to ensure the equitable distribution of the notebooks across public primary schools.

The state’s Commissioner for Education, Mr. Wemi Jones, also spoke at the event, commending the First Lady for her generous contribution to the development of education in Kogi State. Jones emphasized that educational support is one of the most sustainable forms of assistance, as education is fundamental to any developmental progress.

“We are indeed very grateful to the wife of the President for this gesture because palliative in education is the most sustainable palliative that you can give because education is the bedrock of any development,” Jones stated.

He highlighted that the former Governor, Alh Yahaya Bello, had successfully groomed and trained the current governor, Ododo, to elevate education to new heights in Kogi State. Jones assured that robust structures are in place to ensure the notebooks reach the intended beneficiaries.

The Commissioner reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to maintaining free education at both basic and secondary levels in public schools throughout the state. “Education is free in Kogi. We are paying for all exams, both internal and external, at basic and secondary school levels in the state. As a ministry, we are irreversibly committed to taking education to higher levels in Kogi because we have a governor that is fully ready and committed to education development,” Jones added.

The Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Fatima Momoh, also appreciated Mrs. Tinubu’s efforts in improving educational standards nationwide.

Representing the Education Secretaries in the state, the Chairman of the Forum of Education Secretaries, Mallam Salihu Usman, praised the initiative and pledged to ensure fair distribution of the notebooks.

The highlight of the event was the ceremonial flag-off of the notebook distribution by Kogi’s First Lady, who handed them over to the Commissioner for Education for further distribution to pupils across the state. This initiative marks a significant step in the ongoing efforts to enhance educational resources and support for students in Kogi State.