Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, on Wednesday hosted the Russian Chapter of the BRICS Women’s Business Alliance at the State House in Abuja, reaffirming her office’s commitment to advancing women’s empowerment and entrepreneurship.
This was disclosed by Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, via her official X handle.
The visiting delegation, led by Alliance Chairperson Anna Nesterova, comprised top executives and academics who expressed interest in working with Nigeria in areas including pharmaceuticals, film co-production, labour mobility, financial literacy, and AI-powered healthcare.
While welcoming the team, Sen. Tinubu underscored her humanitarian efforts through the Renewed Hope Initiative but emphasized that ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) remain the key implementers of government policies and economic programmes.
“My office will continue to provide advocacy and encouragement, but the ministries have the statutory responsibilities and budgets to support your mission. I do a lot of programmes through my foundation, but when it comes to women’s empowerment and entrepreneurship, the ministries are the right partners. My role is to complement, advise, and facilitate,” she explained.
In her remarks, Nesterova described the First Lady as “an incredible woman who not only changes lives for the better but also paves the way for a prosperous future for the Nigerian people.”
She further announced the Alliance’s plan to open a regional office in Nigeria to serve as a hub for women entrepreneurs accessing global markets.
The Alliance also donated 1,000 labour and delivery kits to strengthen maternal healthcare in the country.
Nesterova revealed that their Common Digital Platform currently connects over 3,000 businesswomen from 60 nations, noting that 50 Nigerian women applied for the BRICS Women’s Startups Contest last year.
The Russian delegation 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.
A technical session at the State House Banquet Hall focused on deepening bilateral relations and exploring investment opportunities between both countries.
Officials highlighted the engagement as a milestone in Nigeria–Russia relations, with actionable frameworks for cooperation and joint ventures aligned with the Renewed Hope Agenda on foreign policy, strategic partnerships, and economic diversification.