Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, has donated additional N1 billion through the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) to support efforts to end Tuberculosis (TB) in the country.
Mrs Tinubu announced the donation on Monday during a community outreach in Sauka, Abuja as part of activities marking the 2025 World TB Day.
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This is the second consecutive year she has made such a commitment. In 2024, she pledged same amount during her investiture as the Global and National Stop TB Champion.
“At this juncture, I would like to pledge an additional N1 billion from the RHI towards the fight against Tuberculosis in Nigeria,” she said.
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TB, an airborne disease caused by a bacterium (mycobacterium tuberculosis), mostly affects the lungs. It is the second deadliest infectious killer disease (after COVID-19) and among the top 10 causes of death worldwide.
Globally, and according to the 2024 WHO global TB report, an estimated 10.8 million people developed TB in 2023, with 1.6 million people losing their lives and 12 per cent of the global burden affecting the most vulnerable – the children and young adolescents.
TB remains a leading cause of death in Nigeria, with the country ranking sixth globally and first in Africa.
Mrs Tinubu stated that according to the 2024 World Health Organisation’s 2024 Global TB Report, one person dies of TB in Nigeria every seven minutes.
“This means that in the short time we will spend at this event, many more lives will be lost if we do not act swiftly and decisively,” she said.
World TB Day
World TB Day is commemorated on 24 March annually to raise awareness of TB and to mobilise efforts, including political commitment to resources and healthcare financing towards TB elimination.
This year’s theme is “Yes! We can end TB: Commit, Invest, and Deliver.”
As the Global and National Stop TB Champion, Mrs Tinubu reaffirmed her commitment to tackling TB by advocating for more funding, policy reforms, and resource mobilisation to support TB awareness and treatment.
She also pledged to amplify the voices of TB survivors, combat stigma and discrimination, and ensure equal access to TB care for women, children, and marginalised groups.
“I encourage every Nigerian to join in this fight. TB is curable, and early detection saves lives. Let us work together to remove the stigma surrounding TB, encourage testing, and support those affected,” she said.
In his remarks, WHO Country Representative, Walter Mulombo, said the theme of this year’s World TB Day, “Yes! We can end TB: Commit, Invest and Deliver,” and the Nigerian slogan “We fit do am,” conveys a strong call for hope, urgency, and accountability across all segments of society, including the community.
Mr Mulombo, however, expressed concerns about the growing risk of reversing two decades of progress in the fight against TB due to funding cuts, which are already disrupting access to prevention, screening, and treatment services.
“For instance, in a space of five years, Nigeria has scaled up many new innovations and interventions that have resulted in the huge numbers of TB cases notified, from 138,583 in 2020 during the pandemic year to 418,198 in 2024 which is more than 300 per cent increase,” he said.
“Any disruptions to TB services therefore will have fatal consequences for the thousands of people affected by the disease in Nigeria.”
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He said strong collaboration with the civil society organisations and affected communities remain critical to mitigating TB service disruptions and ensuring equitable access to care.
He said the WHO will continue to play a central role as the leading global health agency in supporting countries to accelerate the TB response, guided by the latest WHO TB guidelines.
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