First Lady Oluremi Tinubu gives N819m to 1,638 widows of fallen heroes

First Lady Oluremi Tinubu has provided N819 million in financial support to 1,638 widows of fallen military and police personnel who died in the line of duty between 2023 and 2026.

The intervention was announced on Thursday in Abuja during the second edition of the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) Social Investment Programme for Widows of Fallen Heroes, which is aimed at supporting families of security personnel who lost their lives while serving the country.

Under the programme, each of the 1,638 beneficiaries will receive N500,000 to either start a new business or recapitalise an existing one. The initiative is designed to help the widows strengthen their livelihoods and meet the needs of their families.

Tinubu said the financial assistance was both a recognition of the sacrifices made by the fallen personnel and an effort to provide practical support to the families they left behind.

She described the beneficiaries as women who had endured significant pain and hardship following the loss of their husbands, while praising their resilience and courage.

The First Lady said military and police families often live with the uncertainty associated with the risks of frontline and security service, adding that spouses also make considerable sacrifices in supporting personnel who serve the country.

She commended the widows for standing by their husbands during their years of service and for continuing to care for their families despite the challenges created by their loss.

Tinubu urged the beneficiaries to regard themselves as survivors rather than victims and encouraged those who had been widowed for longer periods to provide emotional support to women who had more recently lost their spouses.

“We are here to offer a helping hand as you chart a new path forward,” she said.

The First Lady explained that the N819 million would be distributed between widows of fallen military personnel and police officers.

A total of N657.5 million will go to 1,315 widows of fallen military personnel, while N161.5 million will be provided to 323 widows of fallen police officers.

The two allocations bring the total intervention to N819 million for the 1,638 beneficiaries.

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Tinubu also recalled that the Renewed Hope Initiative had on November 14, 2023, provided N250,000 each to 1,420 widows and orphans of fallen heroes selected through the Defence and Police Officers’ Wives Association, DEPOWA.

She said the latest programme covers widows whose husbands lost their lives in the line of duty since the assumption of office of President Bola Tinubu.

According to the First Lady, the intervention is intended to enable beneficiaries to invest in businesses that can generate income and provide longer-term financial support for their households.

She commended Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, and Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, for supporting the compilation and verification of records of eligible beneficiaries from 2023 to date.

Tinubu also said President Bola Tinubu recognised the sacrifices of security personnel who died while protecting Nigerians and safeguarding the country.

Speaking at the event, Oluyede thanked the President, the First Lady and Hajiya Nana Shettima, Vice-Chairperson of the RHI, for extending support to families of fallen heroes.

The Chief of Defence Staff described the intervention as a demonstration of national solidarity and compassion, saying it complemented existing institutional efforts to support families of personnel who died in service.

Oluyede said the initiative also reassured serving military personnel that the country recognised their sacrifices and remained concerned about the welfare of their families.

He urged the beneficiaries to use the financial support judiciously, particularly for their welfare, their children’s education and future development.

The Inspector-General of Police similarly described the intervention as an expression of compassionate leadership and appreciation for the sacrifices of fallen officers.

Disu said the impact of losing a security officer extends beyond the individual because families left behind often continue to face emotional and financial difficulties.

He said the intervention sent a message that the country had not forgotten either the fallen personnel or the families they left behind.

“When a nation loses a hero, the sacrifice does not end with that hero. It continues in the homes, the hearts and the daily struggles of families left behind,” the IGP said.

Some beneficiaries have indicated plans to invest the N500,000 support in existing businesses or livelihood activities.

One of them, Salomi Gideon Gwaza, widow of late Commander G.Y. Gwaza, said she intended to use the funds to strengthen her business.

Gwaza’s husband died in July 2024 during an operation connected to the rescue of people from a distressed merchant vessel.

Another beneficiary, Olubunmi Oni, widow of late Major Segun Abiodun Oni, said she planned to use the intervention to rebuild and expand her fashion business, which she had struggled to maintain after her husband’s death.

The First Lady’s latest intervention is expected to provide immediate financial relief while helping beneficiaries establish or strengthen income-generating activities.

Beyond the monetary value of the programme, the initiative also seeks to recognise the sacrifices of fallen military and police personnel and reassure their families that their contributions to national security have not been forgotten.

Tinubu urged the beneficiaries to use the funds as a foundation for rebuilding their livelihoods and creating better opportunities for their children.

First Lady Oluremi Tinubu gives N819m to 1,638 widows of fallen heroes

FG installs 668,000 electricity meters as Nigeria moves to close metering gap

The Federal Government has announced the deployment and installation of 668,000 electricity meters under Phase One of the $500 million World Bank-financed Distribution Sector Recovery Programme (DISREP) as part of efforts to reduce Nigeria’s electricity metering gap and improve billing accuracy for consumers.

The figure represents about 60 per cent of the 1.033 million meters delivered under the first phase of the programme, according to the Director-General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Ayodeji Ariyo Gbeleyi.

Gbeleyi disclosed the development while briefing journalists after the second 2026 meeting of the National Council on Privatisation (NCP), chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

He said the council reviewed progress on several government interventions in the electricity sector, including the deployment of meters to customers’ premises.

“On various issues, we provided updates on meter deployment under Phase 1 of the World Bank-financed Distribution Sector Recovery Programme. We have implemented 60 per cent of the meters that have been delivered in the country out of 1,033,000. So far, we have deployed and installed 668,000 meters on customers’ premises,” Gbeleyi said.

The latest installations are expected to give more electricity consumers access to meters that record actual consumption, helping to reduce disputes over estimated electricity bills.

Estimated billing has remained a major source of complaints among electricity consumers, particularly where customers believe bills issued by distribution companies do not accurately reflect the electricity supplied or consumed.

The Federal Government is implementing DISREP alongside other interventions, including the Presidential Metering Initiative (PMI), to accelerate meter deployment and progressively reduce the number of unmetered electricity customers.

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The World Bank-backed DISREP is part of wider efforts to improve the financial and operational performance of Nigeria’s electricity distribution sector. The programme also supports investments intended to strengthen distribution infrastructure and improve the ability of distribution companies to provide reliable services.

Government officials have previously indicated that DISREP could facilitate the delivery of more than 3.2 million meters, while the Presidential Metering Initiative is expected to provide additional meters as part of the government’s broader effort to address the national metering deficit.

The push is significant because millions of electricity customers have historically relied on estimated billing due to the shortage of meters.

Increasing metering coverage is expected to improve transparency between electricity distribution companies and consumers, as customers can monitor their consumption and receive bills based on recorded usage.

However, meter installation alone does not resolve all the challenges confronting Nigeria’s electricity sector. Distribution infrastructure, electricity supply, collection efficiency and the financial health of distribution companies remain important issues affecting service delivery.

Gbeleyi also disclosed that the NCP reviewed developments arising from the implementation of the Electricity Act 2023, particularly the growing role of states in regulating electricity markets within their jurisdictions.

According to him, about 17 states had established State Electricity Regulatory Commissions since April 2024, as states increasingly assume responsibility for regulating intrastate electricity markets.

He identified Akwa Ibom State as the latest state to establish its own electricity regulatory commission in July 2026.

The development followed the constitutional and legislative changes introduced by the Electricity Act, which allows states to establish electricity markets and regulatory structures within their territories, subject to the provisions of the law.

Gbeleyi said, however, that the implementation of the Electricity Act had exposed areas requiring further clarification and coordination among government institutions.

“Some fine-tuning is required here and there in the implementation of that Act,” he said.

The NCP subsequently directed the Attorney-General of the Federation, Minister of Power, Special Adviser to the President on Power, Special Adviser to the President on Oil and Gas, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), BPE and other relevant stakeholders to work together on proposed amendments and other measures to streamline implementation.

Gbeleyi said the stakeholders were expected to engage constructively to harmonise the Federal Government’s position on the changes required to fine-tune the law.

Also speaking after the meeting, Minister of Power Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe said the Federal Government was working collaboratively to ensure Nigerians receive greater value from electricity and other critical sectors of the economy.

“We are working concertedly and in a very collaborative manner to ensure that we give value, either in electricity or in telecoms—whichever area—to make sure that Nigerians benefit from this government,” Tegbe said.

The latest metering figures come as the government continues to pursue reforms aimed at improving electricity billing, distribution and regulation.

For consumers, wider access to meters could provide greater certainty over monthly electricity bills and reduce disputes arising from estimated consumption.

The government will nevertheless need to sustain the pace of deployment to reach the millions of customers who remain without meters.

The NCP meeting, which brought together senior government officials and private members of the council, forms part of the Federal Government’s broader effort to strengthen reforms in the power sector and other critical areas of the economy.

With 668,000 meters already installed under Phase One of DISREP, authorities are expected to continue deploying additional units as they work towards narrowing the metering gap and reducing Nigeria’s dependence on estimated electricity billing.

FG installs 668,000 electricity meters as Nigeria moves to close metering gap