The First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has given N25 million support to 500 women entrepreneurs in Lagos State under her Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI).
The initiative was launched on Monday in collaboration with the Tony Elumelu Foundation.
Senator Tinubu was represented at the event by the Wife of Lagos State Gorvernor, Dr Claudiana Sanwo-Olu.
Mrs. Tinubu said that the economic empowerment was to boost entrepreneurial spirit of female petty traders, who had been doing their best to meet their families’ needs and uplift their communities.
Her words: “I am delighted to be here to flag off the Women Economic Empowerment Programme of RHI, in conjunction with the Tony Elumelu Foundation, in Lagos State.
“Let me emphasise that this is not a loan. It is a grant and a seed of renewed hope to help you to recapitalise your existing businesses”, she said.
“It is my firm belief that when you empower a woman, you empower a household, a community and, indeed, a nation.
“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.”
The first lady, who commended the Tony Elumelu Foundation for donating one billion Naira toward the Renewed Hope Initiative, said that the empowerment would cut across the nation.
According to her, each beneficiary will receive N50,000, while a total of 18,500 women would benefit from the financial empowerment across the nation.
“I thank the Tony Elumelu Foundation, once again, for this support. May this act of generosity inspire many more across our nation.
“Five hundred women from each of the 36 states and the FCT will be receiving N50,000 each to strengthen and recapitalise their existing small businesses.
“I will be presenting the sum of N50,000 each to some of the pre-selected 500 beneficiaries at this event today,” she said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu provided additional N50,000 to each of the 500 beneficiaries in Lagos State.
The first lady praised Sanwo-Olu and his wife for support in executing programmes of the Renewed Hope Initiative in the state.
Earlier, Mrs Sanwo-Olu, who is also the Lagos State RHI Coordinator, called on the beneficiaries to invest the funds wisely.
She was represented by the Wife of Lagos State Deputy Governor, Mrs Oluremi Hamzat.
“Today, we gather to celebrate not only a financial empowerment programme, but also a shared vision of building a more inclusive and prosperous Nigeria.
“I would like to specially appreciate the first lady for her tireless commitment to uplifting women and families across our nation and her consistent dedication to improving the welfare of women in our state.
“My heartfelt appreciation equally goes to Mr Tony Elumelu, whose foundation continues to inspire entrepreneurship and transform lives across Africa.
” To our beneficiaries, this gathering is in your honour. Today’s event is more than a grant presentation. It is a platform of hope, resilience and opportunity.
“I urge you to embrace this support with determination, channel it into productive ventures, and become true ambassadors of women empowerment.
Mrs Sanwo-Olu advised Nigerians to support one another and encourage those living with deadly diseases such as cancer and tuberculosis to seek medical assistance.
