Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, on Thursday, August 22, 2024, disbursed N50 million grant to 1,000 female petty traders in Ebonyi State.
The money was disbursed under the First Lady’s pet project, Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) for the economic empowerment of the women in the state.
Mrs Tinubu, represented by the Wife of the state Governor and State Coordinator RHI, Mary-Maudline Nwifuru, described the programme as a strategy to alleviate the sufferings of the indigent women in the country.
She said that the initiative would continue to pursue its core mission towards achieving a better life for families.
Issuing the symbolic cheque for the grant to the beneficiaries, the First Lady advised them to make judicious use of the money to improve their livelihood.
“The grant provided today is to assist women petty traders in overcoming economic challenges, expanding their businesses, creating jobs and contribute to our economy.
“This empowerment remains the core objective of the initiative and we have consistently delivered on this promise for both women and youths in the six geopolitical zones to support the economy.
“To the beneficiaries, we celebrate your hard work.
“Let’s continue to work together to build a new Nigeria, where every woman will have the opportunity to succeed and small businesses can grow,” Mrs Tinubu said.
In a remark, the governor’s wife, represented by the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Felicia Nwankpuma, appreciated Mrs Tinubu for including Ebonyi women petty traders as beneficiaries of the initiative.
Mrs Nwifuru promised to alleviate the sufferings of women and children through grants and small-scale empowerment programmes in the state.
In separate goodwill messages, Kelechi Mbam, the Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Chinwe Okah, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Nkechinyere Iyioku, among others, lauded Mrs Nwifuru’s numerous empowerment programmes for the rural populace.
They appealed to her not to relent in her service to humanity.
Some of the beneficiaries, including Eunice Akpu, Chioma Onwe, Regina Igube, and Mercy Ekuma, thanked Tinubu for the gesture and promised to utilise the grant judiciously.
