The First Lady of Nigeria and Founder of the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), Senator Oluremi Tinubu, on Thursday launched the RHI/Tony Elumelu Foundation Women Economic Empowerment Programme in Ondo State, with a call to strengthen women-owned businesses across the country.
Represented by the wife of Ondo State Governor, Mrs. Oluwaseun Aiyedatiwa, Senator Tinubu said the initiative was designed to support the entrepreneurial spirit of women traders and small-scale business owners who are committed to providing for their families, educating their children, and contributing to community development.
She explained that the intervention was not a loan but a grant, describing it as “a seed of renewed hope” to help beneficiaries recapitalize their existing businesses.
“When you empower a woman, you empower a household, a community, and indeed, a nation,” she stated.
The First Lady commended the Tony Elumelu Foundation for donating ₦1 billion to the RHI to directly support 18,500 women nationwide. Under the programme tagged Tony Elumelu Foundation Women Economic Empowerment Programme: Provision of Small Business Recapitalisation Grants to 500 Women Across 36 States and FCT, each beneficiary receives ₦50,000 to boost their enterprises.
In Ondo State, 500 women benefitted from the scheme, with some of the preselected beneficiaries receiving their grants at the event.
She expressed gratitude to the Ondo State Governor, Hon. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, and his wife for their support in implementing RHI programmes in the state.
The Governor, represented by the Commissioner for Regional Integration and Diaspora Relations, Otunba Wale Akinlosotu, reaffirmed the state’s commitment to initiatives that promote economic growth and women empowerment.
Also present at the event was the wife of the Deputy Governor of Ondo State, Mrs. Abosede Adelami.
Earlier in her remarks, the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Dr. Oluwaseun Bosede Osamaye, lauded the First Lady’s gesture, noting that Ondo women have benefitted from several government-led empowerment initiatives in the last two months.
She expressed appreciation for extending the programme to the state, assuring that the support would have lasting economic impact on the beneficiaries.
The climax of the event was the official disbursement of ₦50,000 each to the 500 beneficiaries, marking the formal flag-off of the initiative in the state.
