First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has described Nigeria as the best ally to the BRICS nations.
Speaking on Tuesday, 30 September, 2025, while welcoming the Russian Chapter of the BRICS Women’s Business Alliance at the State House in Abuja, the First Lady affirmed Nigeria as “a very interesting place” brimming with opportunities for global partnerships”.
Speaking to the visiting delegation, Senator Oluremi Tinubu pledged her continued support to initiatives that empower women and entrepreneurs.
“Nigeria is a very interesting place that you will find rewarding for partnerships.
“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 NGO, 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 said.
The First Lady highlighted her personal humanitarian commitments, emphasising her work with the Renewed Hope Initiative and other charities benefiting women, children, and families.
“My personal passion is running humanitarian programmes that focus on those areas,” she said.
Reflecting on her recent 65th birthday, the First Lady said she dedicated the day to a worthy cause.
“I dedicated the milestone to raising funds for a national library project close to my heart.
“In a few days I will be on my way to Gombe to hand out sanitary towels to young women from rural communities,” the First Lady said.
The Chairperson of the BRICS Women’s Alliance, Anna Nesterova in her remarks commended the First Lady’s leadership, describing her 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 announced the Alliance’s plans to establish a BRICS Women’s Business Alliance Regional Office in Nigeria to serve as “a gateway for Nigerian women entrepreneurs to international markets” and to create a “single-window collaboration hub for BRICS partners.”
Nesterova elaborated on the Alliance’s expanding reach.
“Our Common Digital Platform currently connects more than 3,000 businesswomen from 60 countries, and last year, the BRICS Women’s Startups Contest attracted 50 applications from Nigeria alone.
“We are donating 1,000 labour and delivery kits to Nigeria as part of our efforts to support maternal health and deepen people-to-people ties.”
The Russian delegation included senior business leaders and academics, Ms. Liudmila Shcherbakova of VET PHARM Group, Ms. Natalia Vershinina of United Migration Center, Prof. Liudmila Popova of Orel State University, and Ms. Anna Meshcheryakova of Third Opinion AI, who all expressed readiness to collaborate across sectors.
Following the courtesy visit, the delegation joined government officials at the State House Banquet Hall for a technical session focused on “Strengthening Bilateral Ties and Exploring Investment Opportunities between Nigeria and Russia.”
In her welcome address, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu stressed the strategic importance of the engagement, situating it within a new chapter of Nigeria–Russia relations.
“This gathering must go beyond symbolism,” she stated. “It should deliver actionable outcome frameworks for cooperation, joint ventures, and enduring networks between Nigerian and Russian women entrepreneurs.”
Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole, highlighted the longstanding Nigeria-Russia relationship, underscoring over six decades of cooperation in sectors including education, technology, defence, and energy.
“Our partnership, rooted since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1960, provides a firm foundation upon which to build deeper, future-focused economic collaboration.
“In Nigeria, women own over 40% of small and medium enterprises and constitute nearly 39% of our registered exporters,” the Minister said.
Other speakers at the Technical Session included the Minister of Women Affairs, Imaan Sulieman-Ibrahim; and Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani and other heads of government agencies.
