*Kicks Off Free To Shine Campaign
By Sylvia Kodilichukwu, Enugu
First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has been conferred with the chieftaincy title of Ugosimba 1 Enugu (Jewel/Eagle From Another Kingdom) by the Enugu State Traditional Rulers Council.
She received the title on Tuesday during her two-day working visit to the South-East state.
Conferring the title, alongside other officers, patrons, and members of the Council, the Chairman of the State Traditional Rulers Council, HRM Igwe Ikechukwu Asadu, said the honour was in recognition of her love for the State and service to the nation and humanity.
“Our First Lady served in the Senate for three consecutive terms and was honoured with the Commander of the Order of the Niger, CON. Nobody could say you were silent at the parliament.
“The good news is the humanitarian part of you. We looked at the way you love Enugu State. We are thanking you for what you do for the midwives, for the nurses. Personally, I am a nurse too. I appreciate it when it comes to the less privileged, healing the sick, clothing the naked, feeding the hungry.
“So, we are here to recognise and appreciate all these good works you are doing. It’s only God that can pay you for your good work,” he said.
An evidently elated Senator Tinubu thanked the Government and people of the state for their overwhelming acceptance and love.
She described Enugu as a peaceful state, saying that she felt inner peace since she arrived in the state capital on Monday.
While also appreciating the royal fathers, she described the title as a special honour not only to her, but also her husband, President Bola Tinubu, and the entire family.
“Thank you so much for all the support you have given. Today is indeed a great honour to me personally and also to my family. I love your state; it is such a very peaceful state and a very peaceful ambience.
“I want to thank Your Majesties for this honour done to me and also to my husband as well; and I know he will be very delighted and I believe the children too will be delighted.
“It is not that I have not been given titles, but this one is quite special and I believe it is God-ordained. And as you have honoured me today, Enugu State will know it for good.
“This moment will remain special in my heart and I will always remember your people for good and for the honour you have done for me. And this is not the end because our tomorrow is here already,” she said.
Also, Senator Tinubu flagged off the Free to Shine Triple Elimination Campaign, an initiative of the Organisation of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD) and global partners to eradicate HIV/AID, Syphilis and Hepatitis by 2030.
Flagging-off the campaign at the International Conference Centre, Enugu, Sen. Tinubu, who is also the founder of Renewed Hope Foundation, said the initiative was imperative as Nigeria bore the highest burdens of HIV infection in sub-Saharan Africa due to her large population.
“We launched the campaign in January 2025 and have flagged it off in five political zones of North-Central, North-East, North-West, South-South and South-West. Today, we have flagged off the campaign in South-East to complete the Free to Shine campaign.
“Our aim is to reduce HIV infection among women, prevent mother and child transmission and ensure that every child born with it gets the necessary treatment,” Tinubu explained.
She thanked Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State and his wife, Mrs. Nkechinyere Mbah, and the people of the State for the warm reception accorded her and her entourage during the two-day working visit.
Throwing his weight behind the campaign, Governor Mbah said his administration takes health seriously because a healthy population is the foundation on which progress is built.
“Here in Enugu State, we have aligned our healthcare priorities with the vision of the Free to Shine Campaign.
“By September, we would have completed and fully equipped 260 Type 2 Primary Healthcare Centres in all wards — each with accommodation for health workers to ensure round-the-clock care.
“We have also strengthened our secondary and tertiary healthcare systems and broadened access to health insurance and emergency services, especially for the most vulnerable.
“These efforts are already yielding results — with a significant reduction in maternal, under-five and infant mortality.
“But we know the work is not done. No health system can thrive in isolation or assume it no longer needs support. This is why we embrace the goals of the Free to Shine Campaign — goals that seek to eliminate stigma, expand access to HIV treatment, and, most importantly, end mother-to-child transmission of HIV,” he stated.
First Lady of Enugu State, Mrs Mbah, who also spoke, commended Sen. Tinubu and OAFLAD for providing leadership against the scourges of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).
“I commend the First Lady, Her Excellency Senator Oluremi Tinubu, for demonstrating leadership and commitment to the health and well-being of Nigerians.
“As 2023 data from the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) shows, Nigeria has one hundred and forty thousand (140,000) children aged 0–14 living with HIV, with twenty-two thousand (22,000) deaths each year.
“This is an enormous public health burden with vast social and economic implications. So, the Free to Shine Campaign is indeed a creation of necessity,” Mrs. Mbah said.
She expressed total support for the initiative, noting that “collaboration is the driving force of change and development.”
“When we collaborate, problems that seem intractable are solved. So, I am confident that the goals of this campaign will be achieved in Enugu State, in Nigeria – and across Africa. What is required is whole-hearted dedication,” she noted.
The event featured a general overview of the Free to Shine Campaign by the Executive Secretary for OAFLAD, Dr. Nardos Berhanu, testimonials and experience-sharing by persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHAs), drama presentation by members of the National Youth Service Corps, and goodwill messages by development partners, among others.
