‎By Hosea Parah

‎Nigeria’s First Lady, Mrs Oluremi Tinubu, has lamented the absence of significant entries for the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) Green Nigeria Challenge Community Category, which closed on July 15.

‎Mrs Tinubu, in a statement on Tuesday, said there was “no significant entry” submitted, an outcome she described as disappointing. She said the programme aimed to transform degraded community spaces into green public areas.

‎She, however, encouraged Nigerians to participate in the second phase of the programme before it officially closes by December 20.

‎The programme is a nationwide environmental competition launched to promote tree planting and environmental cleanliness across the country.

‎The programme features three categories with major cash prizes: N20 million for households, N50 million for communities and N100 million for the best-performing state.

‎“The RHI Green Nigeria Challenge Community Category, which aimed to transform degraded community spaces such as dumpsites, landfills, and abandoned areas into green parks, gardens, and other eco-friendly spaces, officially closed on July 15.

‎“Unfortunately, no significant entry was received. The Household and State categories of the Green Nigeria Challenge remain open until December 20. We encourage households and states to participate,” Mrs Tinubu said.

‎According to Mrs Tinubu, entries for the next phase should be submitted through the Office of the First Lady in the respective states across the country.

‎Mrs Tinubu commended the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, for the remodelling of the Abuja City Gate, and urged other states to emulate the initiative in promoting a greener Nigeria.