Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, on Wednesday received the Russian Chapter of the BRICS Women’s Business Alliance at the State House, Abuja, assuring the group of her office’s continued advocacy for women’s empowerment and entrepreneurship.
The delegation, led by Chairperson Anna Nesterova, included senior executives and academics who expressed readiness to collaborate with Nigeria in pharmaceuticals, film co-production, labour mobility, financial literacy, and AI-driven healthcare.
Welcoming the visitors, Senator Tinubu highlighted her humanitarian work through the Renewed Hope Initiative while clarifying that ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) remain the primary drivers of government policy 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. My role is to complement, advise, and facilitate,” she stated.
Nesterova commended 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 also announced plans to establish a BRICS Women’s Business Alliance regional office in Nigeria to serve as a gateway for women entrepreneurs into international markets.
During the visit, the Alliance donated 1,000 labour and delivery kits to support maternal health. Nesterova added that the group’s Common Digital Platform connects more than 3,000 businesswomen from 60 countries, noting that 50 Nigerian women participated in last year’s BRICS Women’s Startups Contest.
The Russian delegation featured 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 strengthening Nigeria–Russia bilateral ties and exploring investment opportunities. Officials said the engagement aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda on foreign policy, partnerships, and economic diversification.