By Chesa Chesa
Nigeria’s First Lady and Chairman of the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has flagged off the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) Economic Empowerment Programme for women petty traders nationwide with the disbursement of N50,000 business recapitalization grant to 37,000 beneficiary across the country.
She flagged off disbursement of the grant on Thursday in Asaba, Delta State capital, where 1,000 petty traders benefited from the scheme.
As one of the interventions under the economic empowerment programme of RHI, the grant, she said, is targeted at helping petty traders overcome some of their business challenges, create more jobs and expand the contributions of the informal sector to the national economy.
“As we are all aware of the challenges faced by Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), especially the petty traders, who form the backbone of our local economies, these challenges, however, have not deterred the strength of our women.
“I salute you all and celebrate your courage and resilience that keep you going, to put food on the table for your families.
“Today, through the Renewed Hope InitiativeEconomic Empowerment Programme, we are providing 1,000 pre-selected women petty traders per state with a grant of N50,000 each to recapitalize and grow their businesses. A total ofN1.85 billion will be disbursed to 37,000 women petty traders across the nation”, she said.
While identifying economic empowerment as a core objective which the Renewed Hope Initiative have consistently delivered on for both women and youth across the six (6) geopolitical zones of Nigeria to support the economic reforms of the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the First Lady noted that empowering women economically is not just a moral imperative but a strategic one.
“We recognize that empowering women economically is not just a moral imperative but a strategic one. When women thrive, their families thrive, and by extension, our communities and nation prosper.
“We recognize that empowering women economically is not just a moral imperative but a strategic one. When women thrive, their families thrive, and by extension, our communities and nation prosper.”
Applauding the intervention of the First Lady and for choosing the state for the flag off of the grant, Delta State Governor, Sherriff Oborevwori, represented by his wife, Tobore Oborevwori announced the donation of an additional N50,000.00 grant by his administration to further empower the beneficiaries.
