First Lady Oluremi Tinubu Hosts BRICS Women’s Business Alliance, Pushes for Stronger Global Partnerships
Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, welcomed the Russian Chapter of the BRICS Women’s Business Alliance to the State House in Abuja on Wednesday, reaffirming her office’s commitment to promoting women’s empowerment and entrepreneurship.
The delegation, led by Anna Nesterova, Chairperson of the Alliance, included senior executives and academics who expressed interest in working with Nigeria in key areas such as healthcare, pharmaceuticals, financial literacy, film production, labour mobility, and artificial intelligence.
Speaking during the visit, Mrs. Tinubu emphasized her humanitarian work through the Renewed Hope Initiative while pointing out that ministries, departments, and agencies are the official drivers of government policy and economic programs.
“My office will always provide advocacy and encouragement, but the ministries are the ones with the statutory responsibilities and resources to support your mission. I complement their efforts by facilitating and advising, especially when it comes to women’s empowerment and entrepreneurship,” she said.
In her remarks, Nesterova described the First Lady as “an incredible woman who changes lives for the better and paves the way for a prosperous future for Nigerians.” She also revealed plans by the Alliance to open a regional office in Nigeria to create more opportunities for women entrepreneurs to access international markets.
As part of their contribution, the Alliance donated 1,000 labour and delivery kits to support maternal health across the country. Nesterova further highlighted that their Common Digital Platform already connects over 3,000 businesswomen from 60 countries, noting that last year alone, 50 Nigerian women applied for the BRICS Women’s Startups Contest.
The Russian team included Liudmila Shcherbakova of VET PHARM Group, Natalia Vershinina of United Migration Center, Prof. Liudmila Popova of Orel State University, and Anna Meshcheryakova of Third Opinion AI.
Their visit concluded with a technical session at the State House Banquet Hall, where discussions centered on investment opportunities and strengthening bilateral relations between Nigeria and Russia. Officials described the engagement as a significant step towards building actionable frameworks for cooperation, joint ventures, and economic diversification in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda.
