First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, yesterday, performed official renaming of National Women Development Centre to Maryam Babangida National Centre for Women Development.

At the ceremony, Tinubu noted sterling contributions of the former First Lady to the lives of ordinary Nigerians, especially at the grassroots, through her pet programme, Better Life for the African Rural Woman.

She described the late Mrs. Babangida as an icon that redefined the scope of women’s participation in national development.

She noted with nostalgia, that she was at the 9th National Assembly, when a bill for renaming of the centre was passed and assented into law, just as she expressed excitement at being the one to perform the actual task of renaming edifice, as First Lady.

Tinubu commended the Director General, Hajia Asabe Bashir, and her staff for taking a bold step to rename the centre as well as female National Assembly members, who played leading roles in the legislative struggle for actualisation of the decision.

Representatives of the Babangida family, Mohammed Babangida, and his brother, Aminu, thanked the First Lady for the honor done their late mother.

Mohammed expressed appreciation to all women who contributed towards achievement of the goal.

A portrait of the First Lady was also unveiled at the Hall of fame.

She had earlier been inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2019 as first female legislator to have been elected into the Senate for three consecutive terms.

Also present during the ceremony were wife of the Vice President, Hajia Nana Shettima, and wives of state governors, among others.