The 2024 Annual August Meeting in Enugu State has been flagged off by Senator Remi Tinubu, wife of the President, and Mrs. Nkechinyere Mbah, wife of the Enugu State governor.
The event, themed “Eliminating Abuse to Foster a Healthy Society,” aims to rally women against all forms of abuse.
Represented by Hajiya Nana Shettima, wife of the Vice President, Senator Tinubu emphasised the importance of individual contributions and selfless service in nation-building.
She urged attendees to speak out against abuse, promote empathy and compassion, and work together to create a healthier society.
The event provides a platform for women to address pressing issues, mobilize for community development, and promote political participation.
She urged Nigerians to learn to dialogue responsibly and work together to foster a sense of empathy, compassion towards one another, restating her resolve to better the lives of Nigerian women through her pet project, the renewed hope initiative.
“In education, we have provided scholarships to our children and youth across the country, with some having opportunities to study abroad. In agriculture, we have supported our women farmers with fertilizers and farming implements,” she stated
“Very soon, we will be starting the renewed hope women economic empowerment for 1000 petty traders in each state of the federation and the FCT. Our women will be supported with N50,000 each to recapitalize and support their businesses. Under our social investment program, there is a scheme that provides for assorted food items, moving from one state to another,” Senator Oluremi Tinubu stated.
In her remarks, wife of the Enugu State governor, Mrs. Nkechinyere Mbah, while thanking the president’s wife for accepting to flag off the 2024 edition of August Meeting in the state, which she described as “an important and culturally symbolic month for women in Igboland”, added that Enugu women were “hugely inspired by the First Lady’s Renewed Hope Initiative, as it has stirred the spirit of self-reliance in women through its numerous empowerment programmes.”
She said that the August Meeting was underpinned by the knowledge that governments alone could not possibly provide the entire needs of communities; hence, the need to bridge the needed gap and complement governments’ efforts.
She also said that this philosophy inspired her pet project, Custos Care Foundation, through which she is making efforts to better the lives of Enugu women.
“For instance, just a few months ago, we launched the Mama Care Initiative, which enrolled 1,701 expectant mothers into a one-year insurance scheme. This is in addition to the 100 expectant mothers, who were previously enrolled. This initiative was launched as a boost to the government’s effort to eradicate maternal and infant mortality in Enugu State.
“Our August Meeting is also replete with similar leave-no-one-behind projects. It is such projects that have made the August Meeting a formidable socio-cultural and economic creation that has endured for ages,” Mrs. Mbah concluded.
Also speaking at the event, Acting Managing Director of the Enugu State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency, ENRUWASSA, Chika Mbah, called the women to action towards ending open defecation.
She said sanitation was key to the health of the family, explaining that the Dr. Peter Mbah Administration had already begun the distribution of grants to communities towards the provision of water to end the open defecation scourge.
Meanwhile, the women were gifted several items to usher in the 2024 August Meeting across Enugu communities.
