Remi Tinubu introduces N1bn empowerment programme for 500 women per state, FCT
The First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu
* Tony Elumelu Foundation donated N1bn to the Renewed Hope Initiative.
The First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, has launched an Economic Empowerment programme for 18,500 women nationwide, for the purpose of giving assistance to 500 women from each state, including the Federal Capital Territory.
She unveiled the programme in Minna on Tuesday, saying the programme was under the Renewed Hope Initiative in conjunction with the Tony Elumelu Foundation.
Mrs Tinubu said the programme mainly for women traders and small-scale business owners, with each beneficiary to receive N50,000 as a grant.
“This initiative aims to empower women with N50,000 as a grant. It is not a loan but a seed grant from the Renewed Hope Initiative.
“I believe in the saying that ‘when you empower a woman, you empower a household.’ This initiative will positively impact families and communities,” she said.
The First Lady thanked the Tony Elumelu Foundation for donating N1 billion to the Renewed Hope Initiative to directly support 18,000 beneficiaries nationwide.
She noted that the ongoing empowerment programme under the Renewed Hope Initiative was aimed at continuously empowering women to enable them to contribute positively to society.
She thanked the Governor of Niger, Umaru Bago and his wife, for their support for the renewed hope initiative.
Earlier in her remarks, the wife of the Niger Governor, Hajiya Fatima Bago, acknowledged the First Lady’s unwavering commitment to Nigerian women’s welfare under the Renewed Hope Initiative.
She said the impact of the programme was a reflection of her vision and a bold step to strengthen women’s financial capacity through direct business recapitalisation grants.
“We have seen firsthand how a little support in the hands of a woman becomes a seed for something greater; school fees paid, families fed, homes sustained, and communities uplifted,” she said.
According to Hajiya Bago, the state is proud to have 500 women beneficiaries in this initiative.
“It is also confident that the grant will empower them to thrive as entrepreneurs and community builders,” she said.
She commended the partnership between the Renewed Hope Initiative and the Tony Elumelu Foundation, saying it was a shining example of how the private sector could align with national efforts to create sustainable development.
Also speaking, the Special Adviser to Governor Umaru Bago on Women and Affirmative Action, Mrs Mary Noel-Berje, described the continuous support of the First Lady as a living testament of her compassion, empathy and unwavering motherly instinct.
“At a time when many are weighed down by hardship, you have become a symbol of hope, healing and help, especially to the vulnerable, downtrodden and those most in need,” she said.
