Nigeria’s First Lady Pushes For National Identity Over Ethnic Divisions

Nigeria’s First Lady, Remi Tinubu, has made a passionate call for Nigerian youths to embrace their national identity and promote unity, transcending ethnic and cultural divides, Leadership newspaper reports.

At an event hosted at the State House in Abuja, where she received the executives and members of the Youth Wing of the Christian Association of Nigeria (YOWICAN), Mrs. Tinubu emphasised the importance of prioritizing “Nigerianness” over narrow ethnic or cultural affiliations.

“We should promote our ‘Nigerianness’ rather than ethnicity or culture. Yes, we are not saying we should not recognize these, but we should realize and promote our togetherness. We are first and foremost Nigerians. We need that place of unity,” the First Lady in a statement by her media aide, Busola Kukoyi stated emphatically.

“There is a need for youths to have role models who will teach you what to do and how to do them, just as the Bible talks about in Titus 2 and 1 Timothy that the older ones should teach the younger ones,” she added.

The first lady also admonished the guests to share the message of investing in lives.

She said, “Technology is very good but we must let the youth know that they should use it positively”.

She shared some of the programmes of her office through the Renewed Hope Initiative, RHI, which include the Unity Fabric competition with a N25m prize money and the Every Home A Garden competition with a prize money of N20m.

Senator Tinubu also prayed for the guests and Nigerian youths in general.

Earlier in his remarks, the national chairman of YOWICAN, Enwere Belusochukwu applauded the various initiatives of the First Lady especially through the Renewed Hope Initiative, RHI.

He also asked for her inputs on the proposed quarterly Breakfast Prayer Meeting of both Christian and Muslim youth and also on the proposed National Christian Youth Resource Centre which will include a skill acquisition centre among other facilities.

She was later presented with an Easter card and the uniform of the association by the executives.

The First Lady was decorated as the Grand Patroness of the Youth Wing of the Christian Association in July 2023.