Oluremi Tinubu CON (born September 21, 1960) is a Nigerian politician who has served as the country’s first lady since 2023, married to President Bola Tinubu. She served as the first lady of Lagos State from 1999 to 2007 when her husband was governor. From 2011 until 2023, she served as a senator in the Nigerian National Assembly, representing Lagos Central Senatorial District. She belongs to the All Progressives Congress (APC) political party.
Oluremi Tinubu Biography
Oluremi Tinubu, born September 21, 1960, in Ibadan, Oyo, Nigeria, has emerged as a prominent figure in Nigerian society. She comes from a lineage that includes the famous Chief J.K.O. Akande and Mrs Kofoworola Akande. Oluremi, who has an Itsekiri mother and a Yoruba father, represents the synthesis of several cultural heritages.
Her education began at St Anne’s School in Ibadan, where she developed her academic skills. Continuing her thirst for information, she attended secondary school at Queen’s College in Lagos. The University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) beckoned, and she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English in 1976.
Career
Oluremi Tinubu’s early career saw her excel as an educator before embarking on an entrepreneurial journey. In 1981, she established her own path by founding First Ladies, a multidimensional company with interests in real estate, construction, and trading.
Furthermore, her humanitarian nature gave rise to the Women’s Health and Education Foundation, a great non-profit organisation that empowers women and children in Nigeria via healthcare and education programs.
Her rise to popularity was aided by her appointment as the acclaimed First Lady of Lagos State from 1999 to 2007, following her husband’s election as governor. During her term, Oluremi Tinubu rose to prominence as an advocate for women’s rights and the impoverished. Her significant contributions to the Lagos State Health Insurance Scheme demonstrate her commitment to equal healthcare access.
Oluremi Tinubu’s unwavering energy propelled her to the hallowed corridors of the Federal Republic of Nigeria’s Senate in 2007, where she represented the prestigious Lagos Central Senatorial District. As a respected member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), she broke down barriers by becoming the first female senator to represent Lagos State in the Senate.
Her love for education spurred her forward, as she earned a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the University of Ife in 1981, followed by a Master of Business Administration from Lagos State University in 1991.
After a successful banking career, Oluremi Tinubu’s political calling urged her to take up the honourable role of Lagos State’s First Lady. Her subsequent election to the Nigerian Senate in 2011 demonstrated her unwavering commitment to public service. As a pillar of the All Progressives Congress (APC), she continues to illuminate the route to progress with her unwavering leadership.
She became the first lady of Lagos State after her husband, Bola Tinubu, was elected governor. As first lady, she founded the New Era Foundation, which aims to construct centres for “all-round development of young ones and promote public awareness on environmental health and community service.”
Tinubu’s election was contested before the Legislative House Election Petition Tribunal, which later met and affirmed the results in 2012.
Tinubu was one of nearly 100 senators elected to the eighth assembly in 2015. Six of them were women. The others were Stella Oduah and Uche Ekwunife, both from Anambra, Fatimat Raji Rasaki, Rose Okoji Oko, and Binta Garba. In the 2019 general elections, she was re-elected to her senate seat representing Lagos Central, her third term in office.
Senator Tinubu requested adequate security from the Inspector General of Police in 2016 in response to an alleged assault threat made by colleague and fellow party member Dino Melaye during a closed-door session in the Senate.
In 2019, she was nominated for the Eko Excellence Awards alongside Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Tony Elumelu, and other significant figures. In 2020, she advocated for the establishment of state police to combat the country’s escalating levels of insecurity.
She is a big believer in investing in society’s human capital, and Her Youth Empowerment and Skill Acquisition Scheme in partnership with the Good Boys and Girls Empowerment Scheme (GBGES) has produced 1,172 beneficiaries. Approximately 164 teenagers were trained in various disciplines and given start-up kits and capital worth approximately N40,000 each.
Senator Tinubu introduced a measure in March 2021 to make the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) more financially sustainable. [16] She also earned the award for the most influential female senator at The Guardian’s International Women’s Day Summit 2021.
Awards and Honours
She has won several awards and received several honours, including the following: National award of the Officer of the Order of the Niger OON, Member, Board of Trustees of Kings University, Ode-Omu; Ghana Noble International Award for Leadership (2004); Gambian Diamond Award for Immense Contribution to the Emancipation of People from Poverty (2005).
Personal life
Despite being a Christian, she married Bola Tinubu, a Muslim who eventually became Nigeria’s 16th President; their three children are Zainab Abisola Tinubu, Habibat Tinubu, and Olayinka Tinubu. She is the stepmother to his three children from prior relationships: Olajide Tinubu (dead), Folashade Tinubu, and Oluwaseyi Tinubu. She is a Christian and an ordained minister with the Redeemed Christian Church of God.
Her ordination took place in 2018 at the Old Arena of RCCG, Lagos/Ibadan Motorway, where the church celebrated its 66th annual convention, entitled “Dominion”. She is also the Grand Matron of the Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials (COWLSO).
Net Worth
Oluremi Tinubu is the wife of Bola Tinubu, the current President-elect. She is a businesswoman and politician who has served as a Senator for Lagos Central since 2011. Oluremi Tinubu’s net worth is reported to be between $20 and $50 million.
Social Media
X: @SenRemiTinubu