The First Lady, Mrs. Oluremi Tinubu, has urged participants of the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) and Huawei “Women in Tech” training programme to use their newly acquired skills to drive positive change and innovation in their communities.
She made the call in Abuja during the closing ceremony of the Women in Tech training for women entrepreneurs drawn from Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, according to a statement released on Friday by her Senior Special Assistant on Media, Busola Kukoyi.
The programme, a digital empowerment initiative of the Renewed Hope Initiative in collaboration with Huawei Nigeria, was designed to equip female entrepreneurs with practical technological skills to scale up their businesses. It also aims to help women participate more actively in the digital economy, in line with the Tinubu administration’s agenda for inclusive economic growth and development.
Addressing the graduates, Mrs. Tinubu said:
“Although the training has ended, technology keeps changing. Your biggest strength is your ability to keep learning, evolving, and adapting to new trends available for your growth in technology.
Use your new skills to solve real problems in your communities because true innovation is only valuable when it improves lives.”
She urged participants to mentor other women and young girls, encouraging them to see technology as a viable career and business path.
“Remember, you are part of a larger network—support one another and grow together. Be a guide for young girls and women who think technology is not for them,” she added.
The First Lady reaffirmed that the initiative supports President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which focuses on inclusive growth, industrialisation, and digital transformation.
“When women are equipped with the right tools and knowledge, they become agents of change in their families, communities, and the nation at large,” she said.
She noted that the Women in Tech training, conducted between April and October 2024, successfully equipped 300 women with essential digital skills to thrive in the fast-evolving technology landscape. Participants included students, entrepreneurs, and business owners looking to expand their enterprises through digital innovation.
Earlier, the Managing Director of Huawei Nigeria, Chris Lu, expressed appreciation for the partnership with the First Lady’s Renewed Hope Initiative, noting that the programme went beyond training to empower women to take leadership roles in the global digital economy.
“Empowering women with digital skills is not just a matter of inclusion but a necessity for national progress. We know that when women rise, nations thrive,” he said.
Lu added that the participants from all six geopolitical zones had demonstrated innovation and unity, urging them to become ambassadors of digital change.
The Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Abdullahi, also commended the First Lady and Huawei for the initiative, describing it as a strong complement to the government’s digital inclusion goals.
“When you empower a man, you empower an individual, but when you empower a woman, you empower a nation,” Abdullahi said.
He added that the programme had produced women who would not only transform their businesses but also their families and communities.
The Women in Tech initiative continues to advance Nigeria’s vision for a digitally skilled and inclusive workforce, empowering women to take an active role in the country’s technological and economic transformation.
