Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, on Thursday empowered 500 women in Ondo State with a grant of N50,000 each under the Renewed Hope Initiative’s (RHI) Economic Empowerment Programme.
The initiative is in partnership with the Tony Elumelu Foundation that aims to support women entrepreneurs across the country.
The first lady made the disbursement at the programme held at the International Culture and Event Centre, Akure.
She also explained that it was in continuation of the programme she recently launched in Niger state where she made a symbolic presentation of N50,000 to 50 women.
Senator Tinubu, represented by Mrs. Oluwaseun Aiyedatiwa, Wife of Ondo State Governor said the programme was to support 18,500 women entrepreneurs with business re-capitalisation grants across the 36 states including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) with N50,000 each.
 “This Economic Empowerment Programme is about supporting the entrepreneurial spirit of our women traders and small-scale business owners who wake up each day determined to provide for their families, educate their children, and uplift their communities
Her words: “Let me emphasise that this is not a loan. It is a grant and a seed of renewed hope to help you re-capitalize your existing businesses.
” It is my firm believe that when you empower a woman, you empower a household, a community, and indeed, a nation”, she added.
Tinubu further expressedher gratitudetobthe foundation, saying, “I thank the Tony Elumelu Foundation, who donated One Billion Naira to the Renewed Hope Initiative, to directly support 18,500 women across the Nation.
”Five hundred women from each of the 36 states and the FCT will be receiving N50,000 each to strengthen and re-capitalize their existing small businesses, ” she said.
She equally thanked the Governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa and his wife, Esther Aiyedatiwa for their support in executing all the programmes of the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI).
Earlier in her remarks, the State Commissioner for Women Affairs, Seun Osamaye advised the beneficiaries to make the First Lady and governor’s wife proud by improving their businesses.
Seun Osamaye who is the Renewed Hope Initiative coordinator in the state said: It is not a loan but a seed grant from the Renewed Hope Initiative.
”We’ve never had this opportunity. This is happening to women under the leadership of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa and our mothers Mrs. Oluremi Tinubu and Esther Aiyedatiwa.We are immensely grateful for this gesture.
Osamaye promised to monitor the beneficiaries, across the 18 council areas of the state to ensure they use the grant judiciously.
In their remarks, some of the beneficiaries, thanked the wives of the president for the gesture and promised to use the grants to improve their businesses and livelihoods.
