The First Lady, Mrs Oluremi Tinubu, has said that her pet project, the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), disbursed N50 million grant to 1,000 women petty traders in Ebonyi.
She said this on Thursday in Abakaliki, pointing out that the grant of N50,000 each to 1,000 women was part of her economic empowerment programme.
Tinubu, represented by the Wife of the state Governor and State Coordinator RHI, Mrs 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 better life for families.
Issuing the symbolic cheque for the grant to the beneficiaries, she 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, expand their businesses, create jobs and contribute to our economy.
“This empowerment remains 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 works.
“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,” Tinubu said.
In a remark, the governor’s wife, represented by the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Felicia Nwankpuma, thanked Tinubu for including Ebonyi women petty traders as beneficiaries of the initiative.
Nwifuru promised to alleviate the sufferings of women and children through grants and small scale empowerment programmes in the state.
In separate goodwill messages, Mr Kelechi Mbam, the Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Mrs Chinwe Okah, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Mrs Nkechinyere Iyioku, among others, lauded 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.