By Admin
First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu on Thursday urged Nigerian youths to join voluntary organizations and build a culture of service from an early age.
Speaking at the State House, Abuja, after her investiture as Grand Matron of the Nigerian Red Cross Society, NRCS, Mrs. Tinubu said voluntary service can reshape how young people see responsibility and community.
“If they learn to help from an early age, it will not be hard for them to do so when they are older,” she said.
The First Lady said her new role is a call to greater service. She urged young Nigerians with capacity to support neighbors and vulnerable groups in their communities.
“I encourage people: if you have the capacity to help a neighbor in whatever way you can, do so,” she said.
She noted that the NRCS and similar groups are critical to Nigeria’s humanitarian response. Mrs. Tinubu expressed optimism that the country’s challenges can be overcome with political will and citizen action.
“There is no challenge that is insurmountable if we have the right will and strong political will to do right by the nation,” she said. “Our assignment is a daily call to duty, and we have to rise every day to do the work.”
Mrs. Tinubu said her office has launched the National Food Bank Programme across the six geopolitical zones to reduce child malnutrition. In Nigeria where youth-led NGOs and campus Red Cross clubs are active, she said such platforms can channel energy into community health, disaster response, and peer support.
The NRCS National President, Prince Oluyemisi Adeaga, said the society has more than 1.5 million volunteers nationwide and was established in 1960 as Nigeria’s sole public humanitarian services provider.
He thanked the First Lady for her work through the Renewed Hope Initiative and for her focus on women, children and vulnerable Nigerians.
“Your acceptance comes at a time when humanitarian action has never been more important across Nigeria and the rest of the world,” Mr. Adeaga said.
With the country’s largest youth populations, the nation has seen a rise in campus volunteerism and community outreaches. Red Cross officials say engaging more young people in the country could expand first-aid training, emergency response, and welfare projects across Nigeria
