BY EMMA PETER, ABUJA
Peace Ambassador Timi Peggotty Dumbo has reaffirmed her commitment to humanitarian service and reaching out to less privileged Nigerians, saying her passion is to make a positive difference in the lives of people.
Dumbo stated this while speaking with journalists shortly after receiving an award at the “Nigeria @ 66” Independence Day Celebration organised by Governance Today in collaboration with the Africa Independent Good Governance Monitoring Network.
The event, held on September 30, 2026, at the Banquet Hall of the Nigerian National Merit House, Maitama, Abuja, was themed “Reflect, Reassess, Rebuild.”
Dumbo was among the personalities honoured at the programme for their contributions to society and humanitarian causes.
Speaking on her assessment of Nigeria’s development, she said several initiatives and reforms were being put in place, expressing hope that the country would continue moving in a new direction.
She particularly highlighted developments in the electricity sector, noting that the ability of states to obtain licences to generate electricity could help drive development at the grassroots.
“A lot of things have been put together. And what we are hoping now is to go into a new direction about electricity,” she said.
According to her, allowing states to participate more directly in electricity generation could contribute to development by making power more accessible and supporting economic activities within communities.
“So now what we are saying, for example, the states are given licence to generate their own electricity, and that is the way you can bring development to the grassroots,” she added.
Dumbo said the developments taking place across different sectors provided reasons for optimism about Nigeria’s future.
“To me, Nigeria has hope under President Tinubu,” she said.
Reflecting on the award, she expressed appreciation for the recognition, describing the honour as a source of encouragement to continue serving humanity.
“I feel good. I feel honoured and grateful,” she said.
She explained that her response to the recognition would not be to slow down, but to intensify her humanitarian activities, particularly through her foundation, The Smiles Project.
“What should we expect more of the things that we ordinarily do, which is reaching out to the less privileged,” she said.
Dumbo explained that the initiative is focused on putting smiles on the faces of people through acts of kindness and humanitarian support.
“And my foundation is the Smiles Project, where we just put a smile on the faces of people. So definitely we just keep doing our best,” she said.
Asked what she would choose if given the opportunity to pursue something outside her present activities, Dumbo said her answer would remain centred on humanity.
“Humanity. Just the heart to do good. Just to be a blessing to humanity,” she said.
She also expressed appreciation to God, her husband, her children, and the women and groups with whom she associates, acknowledging their support and encouragement.
Dumbo’s latest recognition came as part of activities marking Nigeria’s 66th Independence anniversary, with the organisers using the theme “Reflect, Reassess, Rebuild” to encourage reflection on the nation’s journey and renewed commitment to national development.
