• …selected as Leadership Newspaper’s ‘Person of the Year’s

• …says award fires her up to do more

First Lady Oluremi Tinubu has said her work ethic is inspired by the example of her husband, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, describing him as a hard-working leader whose commitment to duty pushes her to do more.

Mrs Tinubu spoke in Abuja on Monday while formally receiving the notification of her selection as Person of the Year by Leadership Newspapers during a courtesy visit by the organisation’s management.

“I like to work hard because my husband is a hard-working man,” the First Lady said, adding that the recognition had further motivated her to deepen her service to Nigerians.

According to a statement issued by her Senior Special Assistant on Media, Busola Kukoyi, the First Lady said, “with this, I am fired up for the year. I am guided by the scripture which says I can do all things… there is still more for me to do—what I am doing for the common man”.

She thanked the newspaper for the honour, describing it as a call to greater responsibility, and expressed appreciation that her efforts as a woman were being acknowledged.

While noting that society often describes the world as male-dominated, Mrs Tinubu said this reality only challenges women to work harder and remain focused.

“I have never seen men as a challenge, but that makes me know that I have to work three times as hard to get ahead,” she said, urging young women to be confident, focused, and hardworking.

The First Lady also paid tribute to the late founder of the Leadership Group, Sam Nda-Isaiah, whom she described as a man of integrity, and commended the current management for sustaining his legacy.

Earlier, the Chairman of Leadership Newspapers, Zainab Nda-Isaiah, said the decision to honour Mrs Tinubu as Person of the Year 2025 was unanimous, citing the impact of her interventions nationwide through the Renewed Hope Initiative since 2023.

Senior Vice Chairman of the Group, Azu Ishiekwene, said the First Lady had redefined the Office, turning it into a platform for compassionate leadership that impacts lives beyond ethnic, religious, or political lines.

The award ceremony is scheduled for February 12, 2026, marking the 18th edition of the honour, which President Tinubu has received three times in the past.