By Collins Adaka
Born on September 21, 1960, into a sprawling family that included her Itsekiri mother and Yoruba father, Remi Tinubu was the 12th of 13th children. Nigeria in the early 1960s was burgeoning with hopes and challenges, and young Remi’s formative years in Ogun State were shaped by close family bonds and the resilience that often marks large Nigerian households.
Educated at Our Lady of Apostles Secondary School in Ijebu Ode, she earned her West African Senior School Certificate in 1979. Though her early years were modest, her faith surfaced early, a compass that would guide her through university and life. Eventually, she earned a Bachelor of Science in Education from the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), as well as a National Certificate in Education in Botany and Zoology from Adeyemi College of Education. Not content with formal education alone, Remi deepened her spiritual grounding and professional skills by earning a postgraduate diploma from the Redeemed Christian Bible College in 2010. Today, she is an ordained pastor in the Redeemed Christian Church of God, a battleground of guiding Nigerian families and youth.
These early experiences, academia, spirituality, family, laid the foundation for a life defined by service, humility, and leadership.
Although her husband’s ascent into politics brought Remi into the public eye, she was no mere bystander. Between 1999 and 2007, while Bola Tinubu served as Lagos State governor, Remi carved her own path. She established the New Era Foundation in 2000, aiming to uplift youth and women across Lagos States. Under her leadership, the foundation launched impactful programmes.
Remi also engaged in soft-power diplomacy. As noted by The Guardian editorial team, she was “a quintessence of hard and soft power”-a blend of gentle influence and firm leadership, balancing her husband’s flamboyance with quiet, effective action. Unlike many, who wield power by fiat, Remi used hers to touch lives, often under the radar.
First Lady of Lagos
Her experience as First Lady of Lagos was not defined by grand gestures alone. She maintained direct engagement with grassroots communities, exemplified by her embrace of environmental-awareness campaigns, women empowerment workshops, and health outreach across the state.
By 2007, her tenure was widely viewed as one rooted in coherence: passion-driven projects that catered to underserved demographics, children, women, and youth.
When the 2011 senatorial elections rolled around, Remi’s trajectory continued upward. Running on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), she contested and won the Lagos Central Senatorial District seat; defeating strong contenders – and making the legal rounds before the tribunal reaffirmed her victory.
Her entry into the Senate marked a major turning point: she transitioned from soft influence to wielding hard power. As Africa Confidential observed, she became “a politician in her own right,” not merely a symbolic spouse. In that decade-plus tenure, she delivered several milestones: She became the first female Nigerian senator to serve three consecutive terms, culminating in her induction into the Nigerian Women Hall of Fame in June 2019. She championed state police initiatives to tackle insecurity in 2020, taking a stand on an issue that others avoided. She sponsored reforms for NIPOST, the Nigerian Postal Service, in March 2021, aiming to revitalize the institution. She was recognized as the most impactful female senator at The Guardian-organized International Women’s Day Summit in 2021. But it was her advocacy and constituency engagements that drew widespread admiration. She introduced: Post Secondary School Scholarships. The PETECS: Petty Traders Empowerment Scheme; Elderly assistance through ECAS.
Widow economic programs (WEES). Youth Empowerment and Skill-Acquisition Schemes (YESAS). A school sports tournament for U 12 boys and U 15 girls. Additionally, she hosted quarterly town hall meetings in Lagos Central to stay anchored in her constituents’ realities. Remi Tinubu didn’t trade community interaction for political capital; she used her platform to stay connected, visible and unwaveringly service-driven.
Remi Tinubu’s influence beyond Nigeria
Moreover, she played a pivotal role as a businesswoman, a pastor, and an author. Her autobiography, The Journey of Mery, My Faith Walk, gives a glimpse into her humanity-faith, service, struggles, triumphs. She also lent her name to initiatives beyond Nigeria: an elementary and junior-high school in Mount Serrador County, Liberia, was donated in her name, a testament to her humanitarian reach.
In May 29, 2023 marked another turning point: her husband was sworn in as Nigeria’s 16th President, and Remi Tinubu became First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, assuming a newly-elevated role within a national narrative.
Unlike previous first ladies, she didn’t disappear behind the curtain of protocol. As Menas Associates explained, she is “not a typical First Lady” she retains her politician’s mindset and brings the governance insights of a legislator.
Her early days in office reaffirmed this:, She toured the offices of the First Lady’s wing (media, protocol, ICT), signaling a hands-on oversight approach. She emphasised substance over symbolism-meeting teams, shaping programmes, steering an agenda. Rumour had it she influenced ministerial appointments, notably Femi Gbajabiamila, hinting at a strong presence behind-the-scenes.
Her public engagements have tackled pressing issues: Mental Health in the Workplace
On World Mental Health Day (October 10), she took a strong stance: “It’s time to prioritize mental health in the workplace… Emotions bottled up are the beginning of mental health issues… let us all commit to improving mental health awareness, and enjoin individuals to seek medical help and counseling early.”
She warned against workplace dissatisfaction and the stigma preventing care, making mental wellbeing a national conversation. Marking the United Nations World Day for Cultural Diversity (May 21, 2025), she insisted:
“Nigeria… blessed with over 250 ethnic groups… through our dialogue… we find true identity and unity. I encourage every Nigerian to celebrate our cultural richness… lead with understanding.”
Unity through diversity, a core pillar of her vision
Addressing the Burundian Ambassador, she said: “The solution to Africa’s challenges lies with Africans… invest in education and human capital development… strengthen brotherhood…and enlist youths in developmental efforts.”
Her continental perspective elevates Nigerian diplomacy. Her pet project, Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), made headlines when she presented a ?500 million cheque to displaced families in Plateau State She stressed: “In times like these… we must take concrete actions to alleviate the suffering… this marks a departure from aloofness.”
This humanitarian effort stood in sharp contrast to prior administrations’ failings, earning praise from citizens and observers alike.
From the large corridors of her birth home to the elite realm of national power, Remi Tinubu has never lost sight of her roots. What defines her is not the titles or honors, but the continued commitment to uplifting the young, the vulnerable, and the disenfranchised.
She represents a modern Vanguard ideal: proactive, principled, and performance-oriented. At every stage from Lagos to Abuja she has built structural programs with measurable outcomes. Whether as a senator touching thousands across constituencies, or as First Lady addressing national crises with genuine engagement, she approaches power as service.
In an era of shifting political landscapes, she stands out: a politician without losing moral core, a First Lady who straddles ceremonial and substantive roles, a Nigerian rooted in culture yet global in vision.
Senator Remi Tinubu is more than the spouse of the president; she is a leader in her own respect and her trajectory suggests that her impact will be felt long after her time in Aso Rock.
Even though the wings of time might change, First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu has etched her name in the sands of time.
To God be the glory.
Proliferation of AI and the need for quick regulation
By Funso Sobande
AI. The acronym that is foremost on
everyone’s lips, with the easiest recall. Artificial intelligence. The purpose of this article is to outline a few thoughts based on recent developments in the field of AI, which showcase the range of seemingly impossible applications of AI in several fields while highlighting some of the dangers of its unchecked and unregulated use as the technology becomes increasingly prolific.
Let us begin with the evolution of AI and its growth and popularity. AI has evolved to the point where it is deeply integrated into all facets of our lifestyle. Unfortunately, however, as with most developments, the pace of regulation has lagged the pace at which AI is being incorporated into every aspect of our lifestyle.
And so, there is a need for the regulation of the development of AI. And that need is very urgent and has become more urgent today. Now, just to put the discussion in context. I want to highlight a few thought-provoking, even nerve-wrecking instances in recent times that highlight the manner and uses to which this versatile technology is being deployed.
AI affects all sectors of the economy. And just this year alone, I will touch on a few topical reported cases of the use (or abuse) of AI in different sectors and professions within the economy.
Accountancy
Almost no profession is spared from the impact of AI on its work processes and workforce. In the UK, we have seen how AI has affected the hiring practices of the big four accounting firms – EY, PWC, Deloitte and KPMG. The developments in AI have been accused of replacing the jobs of fresh graduates. Accounting is a rule based professional framework that could easily be observed encoded and replicated.
Law
We also learned, of the impact of AI in the professional world of law. The first robot lawyer powered by artificial intelligence will represent a human client in court very soon, and that was reported by DNA Indian news.
Finance and Investments
In the area of finance and investment, we have seen how AI and its use have manifested in driving investments, stock prices and the applicability of AI in developing risk-based decision-making algorithms. Regarding the funding of companies in involved in AI, only last week NVIDIA, the leading company in AI chip manufacturing, became the first company to be worth over $4 trillion, as reported by NBC News. Four or five years ago, when NVIDIA was still in a fresh startup, the company that was worth a mere $650 million.
Politics
In politics, we saw last week how the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, was impersonated by AI, and his voice was used to send messages to members of the Senate.
Technology
AI has been employed in writing code, so that now, people do not require an in-depth knowledge of coding for basic use applications, as there are several non-code-based AI learning programs. It is possible to prompt AI chatbots and they convert your intentions into code, and that code can easily be debugged and corrected. We also learned that AI. AI learning.
AI has been known to attempt to escape human control with mixed success, as reported in the Wall Street Journal few weeks ago. The AI was programmed to stop itself and it refused to comply, looking for methods to escape human control.
AI is also vastly deployed in the quest to develop driverless vehicles.
Everyday Work Use
In everyday work, the use of the usual AI portals such as ChatGPT, etc, exposes people to several daily tasks that ChatGPT can replicate and handle in seconds, saving hours and hours at work. Such tasks include responding to emails, automating schedules, tasks, and so on and so forth.
around the “ethical and responsible use of AI.” Recently, one of the founding fathers of AI quit his job because he felt very strongly about the widening gap between the pace of regulation and the pace of evolution of AI. He expressed concerns over the uses and abuses to which the technology was being deployed.
We have all seen how powerful the human mind is, in terms of its capability to dream, imagine, and re-image ideas, and how those ideas that were mere dreams have been transformed into reality, all within the space of less than two decades. That transformational gap is now narrowing seriously. Movies like the Terminator series, where machines eventually become so smart they take over from humans, are now seeming more like a possibility within certain probabilities.
We are also cautioned to check and double-check the output from the use of AI, as the technology is still being developed, albeit at an alarmingly rapid pace. AI has learnt so much from humans, including the ability to lie its way out of sticky situations! One space to watch is Google’s response to other competitors in the AI space.
It remains to be seen, but there is an urgent call to regulate AI, to do so effectively, and to do so now. This calls for deep thought because the regulation must supplant jurisdictions. In conclusion, AI has its positives. It has contributed to significant enhancements in productivity, etc, but again, like any tool, the skill and dexterity with which a tool can be used depend on the hands in which it is placed. A word of caution is enough. More from me later.
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