The First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, has gifted N50,000 each to 500 women in Enugu to support their businesses through her Renewed Hope Initiative and Tony Elumelu Foundation.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the support is termed RHI/ Tony Elumelu Foundation Women Economic Empowerment Programme with the title “Provision of Small Business Recapitalisation Grant to 500 women across 36 States and FCT”.
NAN reports that the 500 beneficiaries were drawn from the 17 Council Areas of Enugu State through the Office of the Enugu State’s First Lady, Nkechinyere Mbah.
In a message to the programme on Thursday in Enugu, Tinubu said the initiative was to support the entrepreneurial spirit of Nigerian women traders and small-scale business owners.
According to her, these women wake up each day determined to provide for their families, educate their children, and uplift their communities
Sen. Tinubu was represented by Mrs Nkechinyere Mbah, the Wife of Enugu State Governor.
She said, “I am delighted to be here to flag off the Women Economic Empowerment Programme of the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) in conjunction with the Tony Elumelu Foundation in Enugu State.
Let me emphasise that this is not a loan. It is a grant and a seed of renewed hope to help you recapitalise your existing businesses.
“It is my firm belief that when you empower a woman, you empower a household, a community, and indeed, a nation.”
The first lady commended the Tony Elumelu Foundation, which she said donated N1 billion to the Renewed Hope Initiative, to directly support 18,500 women across the nation.
She said that 500 women from each of the 36 states and the FCT would be receiving N50,000 each to strengthen and recapitalise their existing small businesses.
“Therefore, I will be presenting the sum of N50,000 each to some of the pre-selected 500 beneficiaries at this event.
“I thank the Tony Elumelu Foundation once again for this support. May this act of generosity inspire many more across our nation.
“I also thank Gov. Peter Mbah and his amiable wife, Nkechinyere, for all their support in executing all the programmes of RHI,” Tinubu said.
A beneficiary, Theresa Agor from Uzouwani Council Area, thanked the First Lady and Mrs Mbah for the initiative, saying the intervention would help in her business.
“My heart is filled with joy with this support, and may God bless the President’s wife and the Elumelu Foundation for this kind gesture,” she prayed.
PUNCH Online reported on September 2 that the First Lady had donated N50,000 each to 500 less-privileged women drawn from across the 13 Local Government Areas of Nasarawa State, to boost their businesses and improve their livelihoods.
