Tendai Rupapa in ABUJA, Nigeria
NIGERIAN First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu says she looks up to First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa as a mentor due to her philanthropic works which she has described as highly commendable and inspiring.
Sen Tinubu, who has been in office for one year and once visited Zimbabwe at the invitation of Amai Mnangagwa, said she was awestruck by Dr Mnangagwa's hard work and passion for the people, especially women and the girl child.
She said she had already started replicating some of Dr Mnangagwa's works in her motherland.
Sen Tinubu made the remarks when she paid a courtesy call on Dr Mnangagwa during which they deliberated on various issues, thereby cementing their relationship and sharing ideas on how best to serve their people.
Dr Mnangagwa is among her regional counterparts in Nigeria at the invitation of Dr Tinubu for the launch of the #We are Equal campaign", a continental initiative by the Organisation of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD) meant to address gender inequality in Africa in the sectors of health, education and economy.
Amai Mnangagwa launched the #"We are Equal Campaign" in November last year, ahead of the 22nd edition of the International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA) where she hosted a high-level meeting in Victoria Falls.
Various other First Ladies, including Senator Tinubu attended the meeting.
This comes at a time when African First Ladies, on the advice of Amai Mnangagwa, have seen it fit to visit each other and meet regularly to share ideas and find solutions to pressing challenges instead of just meeting on the sidelines of major summits as had been the tradition.
Sen Tinubu said she was glad that Dr Mnangagwa honoured her invitation.
"I am glad that Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa is here. We share a kindred spirit, I will say. I have learnt so much from her just by watching the way she continues to show passion for her people and how she is hands-on and hardworking. These are some of the things I can bring back to my country," she said.
The Nigerian First Lady spoke about how she is new in the office and her desire to learn from others like Dr Mnangagwa. She also spoke about her trip to Zimbabwe after being invited by Amai Mnangagwa.
"I am less than a year in the office. This month, I will be marking our one year in office as the First Lady of Nigeria. I travelled to Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Sierra Leon and from Dr Mnangagwa, I saw her passion for the upliftment of vulnerable groups.
"This is exactly what I am going to do with the Organisation of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in a few days because after this OAFLAD programme, we are going to host OIC.
"End of last year, Dr Mnangagwa organised and hosted a high-level and well-coordinated meeting which came as a precursor to the 22nd edition ICASA. I am happy that I was part of the guests.
The meeting mainly focused on the need to reduce mother-to-child transmission of HIV to foster healthy future generations. I am happy to announce that I will be doing the same with OIC. These are things I saw my sister doing and today I am glad she is here," Sen Tinubu said.
She thanked her fellow First Ladies for supporting her.
"The support I am getting from all the mothers of Africa is overwhelming for me. This is not going to be the last. The coming together of Mothers of Africa is very crucial and it's we women that can do that. We have started and we will not look back," she said.
The Nigerian First Lady particularly thanked Amai Mnangagwa for travelling all the way from Zimbabwe which she said was a sign of love.
"Zimbabwe's presence at this conference is very important. All the way from the South to the equator is quite a journey. It is important for all of us to come together as mothers of Africa. Other First Ladies are already here while some are still coming but I am seeing her (Dr Mnangagwa) first. Welcome my sister," she said.
The First Lady, Dr Mnangagwa said she was humbled by the love and commitment shown amongst the African First Ladies, adding that it was inspiring to see mothers of nations coming together.
"When I joined OAFLAD and was later elected the vice president of the organisation, I told my sisters that it was my wish for African First Ladies to visit each other in our countries so that we get to learn from each other and get to know who is doing what and back home you go and do what your sister is doing.
"When Sen Tinubu came into office last year, she got in touch with me and I believe with all other African First Ladies. She visited Zimbabwe and we had a very nice time and we shared so many things. When I received the invitation from her, I didn't even think twice. I quickly agreed," she said.
She applauded Sen Tinubu for showing the zeal to learn.
"She has been in the office for one year but she came to Zimbabwe so that she could see how i was doing my programmes. Not most of us did that when we got in the offices but she did. As First Ladies, we were used to meeting maybe just once or twice a year when Presidents meet for the United Nations General Assembly.
"We would just tag along during those conferences. We never used to visit each other. We dragged behind yet as mothers we are supposed to meet regularly and know what the other is doing then ask how she is doing it because Africa is one and remember problems are the same but they just come at different times but it is the same if it is in health, education, empowerment, girl child, just everything, it is the same in Africa.
The mothers of Africa are the people who should make noise first and that is why we say in our countries we should have our space as women and be respected and given that opportunity to show who we are and what is in us. The motherhood instinct is in us so being together is a very good and big round table.
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"As members of OAFLAD, new and old members, we should hold each other's hand for continuity. There should be continuity of work that was started by those who were there before remember we are serving the same people of the same nation so if one does what she does and her tenure ends, it means all the efforts end there.
"When the new First Lady comes, joins OAFLAD and starts her programmes, there won't be development. Because of our host, we are going to meet with new faces as we learn from each other," Amai Mnangagwa said.
Sen Tinubu is launching the campaign under the theme "Education as a powerful tool for Change: No Girl Should be Left Behind."
The campaign will see the reintroduction of the alternative high school for girls which aims at providing another opportunity to young girls who drop out of school for various reasons.
The campaign is similar to the Stay in School programme being run by Dr Mnangagwa where children are encouraged to focus on their studies with scholarships awarded through her Angel of Hope Foundation to those who excel.
Amai Mnangagwa is also empowering teen mothers and encouraging them to return to school after giving birth.
She also conducts regular Gota/Nhanga/Ixhiba sessions through which she reinforces the need for learners to leave drugs, avoid early sexual relationships and to concentrate on their studies for a bright future.
