By Victoria Okpanachi
In an effort to improve the lives of its citizens, the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), an initiative of Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has launched an economic empowerment programme.
The Initiative has provided recapitalisation grants to support 1,000 women petty traders in Kogi State.
The economic empowerment programme which is to cut across all the 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, is expected to empower 1000 women petty traders with a grant of N50,000 each to recapitalise and grow their business.
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Sen. Tinubu, who was represented by wife of the Speaker, House of Representatives, Hajiya Fatima Tajudeen Abbas, while speaking at the empowerment programme, said RHI is her way of delivering campaign promises and ensuring that women at all levels are carried along,
Sen. Tinubu emphasised that the Renewed Hope Initiative is out to make life better for women and children, adding that through the economic programme, a total of N1.85 billion will be disbursed to 37,000 women petty traders across the country.
“The grant provided is to assist women petty traders in overcoming some of their business challenges, expand their businesses, create more jobs and contribute more robustly to our economy,” she stated.
She stressed that economic empowerment remains a core objective of the Renewed Hope Initiative, stating that the initiative has consistently delivered on this promise for both women and youth across the six geopolitical zones.
The wife of the President added that the initiative is to support the economic reforms of President Bola Tinubu, while appreciating the RHI State Coordinators, the First Lady of Kogi State and everyone involved in making the programme a success.
Speaking at the event, Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, said women are the bedrock of development and enough effort has to be put in place to empower them, noting that in the state there is an unprecedented increase in the number of women in his cabinet and his administration will continue to prioritise women and youth.
The Governor lauded the First Lady’s humanitarian spirit and her continuous efforts to uplift women at the grassroots level through empowerment and poverty alleviation programmes.
“We extend our gratitude to the First Lady for establishing a robust platform aimed at eradicating poverty among women in our society. We will continue to collaborate with her to empower the women of our state and the nation as a whole,” Ododo stated.
While giving her speech, Kogi’s First Lady, Hajia Sefinat Ododo, expressed her gratitude to the President’s wife for her commitment to grassroots women empowerment.
Hajia Ododo emphasised that the grant would significantly boost the beneficiaries’ businesses and improve their families’ well-being. “As someone from the grassroots, I understand your struggles,” she added.
She pledged the full support of Kogi women in the wife of the President’s mission to improve the lives of women in the state making sure that the RHI and the beneficiaries of the grant cut across the 21 Local Government Areas.
The Governor’s wife urged the grant recipients to use the recapitalisation funds wisely, highlighting the opportunity it provides to grow their businesses and support their families. This, she noted, would not only improve their standard of living but also inject more money into the economy, especially for women.
Several beneficiaries, including Khadijat Isah, Bosede Ojo, and Victoria Ojonojima Adejoh from Okene, Ijumu and Olamaboro respectively, expressed their gratitude to the First Lady for her generous support.
They pledged to use the grant wisely, emphasising that it would significantly enhance their businesses and increase their productivity.
