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From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
First Lady of Nigeria’s Oluremi Tinubu, on Thursday handed over 140,000 copies of seven storybooks on girl‑child development to the Federal Ministry of Education, saying the gesture is part of her ongoing efforts to strengthen young girls’ ability to shape futures that match their dreams.
According a statement issued by her media aide, Busola Kukoyi, the books—published by Merck Foundation, for which the First Lady wrote the foreword and arranged national reproduction—were presented for onward distribution to public school libraries across the country.
Tinubu said the titles, which cover a range of life lessons, will benefit both girls and boys by building confidence, empathy, healthy habits and an appreciation for equity and social responsibility.
“It gladdens my heart that I am able to partner with the Merck Foundation on this, they are quite small but meaningful compare to our population size, they have been working with a other African nations,” she said, adding that the foundation has become a partner in reproductive health initiatives. “We now use them as RHI international partners and they are committed to improving health care, education and social development across Africa.”
The First Lady also noted the foundation’s support to medical education in Nigeria. “Through our partnership, the foundation has provided 91 medical scholarships that are helping to strengthen health sector in Nigeria.”
Handing the books to Education Minister, Tunji Alausa, Mrs. Tinubu urged the ministry to ensure adequate incentives and functional education systems that help girls navigate the complex pathway to development.
“I am confident that the ministry will facilitate the effective distribution of the books to public school libraries across the country, ensuring that children from diverse backgrounds can benefit from their lessons,” she said.
Alausa, who reviewed the seven titles during the handover, praised the initiative for tackling core issues in girl‑child development, including gender discrimination and sexual violence, and for promoting values he said are needed in today’s youth. He commended the First Lady for supporting education “irrespective of misinformation,” and recalled the ministry’s adoption of a similar initiative—“One Day Minister”—which copied a precedent she set as Lagos State governor’s wife in 2007.
“I promise you that we will use these books and decimate it across the country,” Alausa said.
The Education Ministry confirmed that distribution to public school libraries has already begun and described the donation as one of several outcomes of the First Lady’s collaboration with Merck Foundation to promote girl‑child education nationwide.
