Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has been conferred with the traditional title of Ugo Eze Anambra by traditional rulers in Anambra State.
The title, meaning “the glory of the king” or “a royal eagle”, was presented to the First Lady in Awka on Thursday by the Chairman of the Anambra State Traditional Rulers Council, Igwe Chidubem Iweka, on behalf of traditional rulers across the state’s 179 communities.
The honour formed part of Tinubu’s one-day working visit to the state, which centred on food security, digital skills and economic empowerment.
The First Lady was in Anambra for the launch of the National Community Food Bank Programme for the South-East, an initiative under the Renewed Hope Initiative designed to support vulnerable Nigerians.
The programme targets groups including nursing mothers, children, widows, elderly people and persons living with disabilities, with food assistance and nutrition support forming part of the intervention.
Tinubu also commissioned an ICT centre at the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, designed to give students access to training in areas including software development, data analysis, digital marketing and other digital skills.
The facility is expected to help address the digital skills gap among young people in Anambra and the wider South-East.
Another major engagement was the flag-off of a state-wide empowerment programme led by the Anambra State First Lady, Nonye Soludo.
Under the programme, 5,000 beneficiaries across the state’s 21 local government areas are expected to receive business grants, vocational tools and equipment for agriculture, agro-processing, beauty care and other small-scale enterprises.
Speaking at the chieftaincy ceremony, Iweka described the title as an honour from the royal fathers across Anambra’s 179 communities.
He said the recognition was in appreciation of Tinubu’s humanitarian activities and her role alongside President Bola Tinubu.
“We welcome you to Anambra, and we congratulate you for coming,” the monarch said, according to the account of the ceremony.
He also commended the President’s administration for projects across the country and prayed for wisdom for the First Lady.
Responding, Tinubu thanked the traditional rulers for the recognition.
“I feel deeply honoured by the conferment of a chieftaincy title by the royal fathers of this state. Igbo are very nice people,” she said.
The Anambra honour came barely 24 hours after the First Lady received another traditional title in Imo State.
On Wednesday, Imo monarchs conferred on her the title Oso Di Eme I, which her media aide, Busola Kukoyi, explained as meaning “she who supports her husband.” The ceremony took place during Tinubu’s engagements in Owerri.
The Imo visit also featured a women’s empowerment programme under the Renewed Hope Initiative, with support provided to women and vulnerable residents.
The back-to-back honours have added a cultural dimension to Tinubu’s South-East engagements, which have largely focused on women’s empowerment, food security and social intervention.
In Anambra, state officials said the First Lady’s visit would strengthen collaboration between the Federal and state governments in tackling poverty, food insecurity and youth unemployment.
The programmes also place renewed attention on the role of federal and state interventions in providing direct support to vulnerable households while equipping young Nigerians with skills and resources for economic participation.
