Addis Ababa: Nigeria's first lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, has been elected as a member of the Organisation of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD) Steering Committee. Mrs Tinubu was elected on Saturday during the 29th Ordinary General Assembly of the organisation in Addis Ababa.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Mrs Fatima Bio, the first lady of Sierra Leone, was elected as the President of OAFLAD, while Mrs Ana Lorenzo, the first lady of Angola, assumed the role of Vice President. Mrs Tinubu joins the eight-member steering committee as one of the two representatives from West Africa. The committee also includes representatives from Malawi, Kenya, Ethiopia, Equatorial Guinea, and Congo, with Sierra Leone and Angola holding the presidential and vice-presidential positions, respectively.
The election took place on the sidelines of the 38th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU), which is being held from February 13 to 16. OAFLAD comprises spouses of African heads of state and government from 24 countries across the continent.
Mrs Tinubu extended her congratulations to Mrs Bio and expressed her commitment to advancing education for women and girls in Africa. Additionally, Ms Nardos Berhanu, the Secretary-General, and the outgoing President of OAFLAD, Namibia's first lady, Mrs Monica Geingos, congratulated Mrs Tinubu and the other newly elected members.