By: TUNDE BOLAJI MINNA.
Five hundred rural women selected along the 25 local areas of Niger state benefited from First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, under the Renewed Hope Initiative’s Economic Empowerment Programme.
The First Lady while performing the ceremony in Minna, Senator Tinubu clarified that the grant is not a loan but a direct financial support aimed at uplifting women-led businesses across the country.
The initiative, she noted, targets 18,500 women, 500 beneficiaries each from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
“This initiative is geared towards the empowerment of women with N50,000 each as a grant.
It is not a loan but a seed from the Renewed Hope Initiative,” she said. “When you empower a woman, you empower a household. This initiative will have a positive impact on families and communities.”
The programme is being implemented in collaboration with the Tony Elumelu Foundation, which has committed N1 billion to support the project.
The grant targets women traders and small-scale business owners.
Senator Tinubu commended the Tony Elumelu Foundation for its support and thanked Governor Muhammad Umaru Bago and his wife, Hajiya Fatima Umaru Bago, for their commitment to the success of the Renewed Hope Initiative in Niger State.
In her remarks, Hajiya Fatima Bago acknowledged the First Lady’s dedication to the welfare of Nigerian women.
She said the empowerment programme reflects a bold move to strengthen women’s financial independence through direct business capitalization support.
“We have seen 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.
“Niger State is proud to have 500 women benefiting from this initiative, and we are confident that it will help them thrive as entrepreneurs and community builders.”
She also praised the partnership with the Tony Elumelu Foundation, describing it as a strong example of how the private sector can collaborate with public initiatives to drive sustainable development.
Also speaking at the event, Special Adviser to the Governor on Women Affirmative Action, Mrs. Mary Noel Berje, described Senator Tinubu’s intervention as a symbol of hope and compassion.
“In a time when many are weighed down by hardship, you have become a symbol of hope, healing, and help — especially to the vulnerable and those most in need,” she said.
