•As First Lady Flags-Off Economic Empowerment Scheme
No fewer than 1,000 women across the 23 local government areas of Rivers State have benefited from the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) Women Economic Empowerment Programme, receiving small business recapitalisation grants aimed at expanding their ventures, supporting their families, and strengthening local communities.
The empowerment scheme, implemented in collaboration with the Tony Elumelu Foundation, and supported by the Rivers State Government, was officially launched at the Banquet Hall of Government House, Port Harcourt on Thursday.
The RHI Women Economic Empowerment Programme is part of a broader national initiative targeting 18,500 women across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
Speaking at the flag-off ceremony, Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, represented by wife of the Rivers State Governor, Lady Valerie Siminalayi Fubara, explained that the financial support was a grant, not a loan, intended to strengthen women-owned businesses.
“Each beneficiary will receive ₦50,000 to recapitalize her business,” she said. “This grant is not to be repaid. When you empower a woman, you empower a household, a community, and indeed, a nation.”
Senator Tinubu expressed appreciation to the Tony Elumelu Foundation for its ₦1 billion donation to the programme, which has made the grants available to more women across the country.
Lady Valerie Fubara highlighted the Rivers State Government’s ongoing efforts in supporting families through agricultural, economic, and educational initiatives, describing them as complementary to the RHI’s empowerment goals.
She urged the beneficiaries to use the funds wisely to grow their businesses and improve their families’ livelihoods, commending Senator Tinubu for her vision and compassion.
“Senator Oluremi Tinubu has shown remarkable dedication to uplifting women,” Lady Valerie Fubara said. “Her leadership continues to inspire positive change across the nation.”
She said her husband and Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, is showing more support for the programme and has increased the number of beneficiaries in the State from 500 to 1,000, as a demonstration of his administration’s commitment to economic inclusion.
“His Excellency believes that empowerment must be value-targeted,” Lady Valerie Fubara added. “I also urge you, recipients, to utilize the proceeds from this partnership to support beneficial ventures that will make for economic improvements in your families.”
Rivers State Deputy Governor, Prof. Ngozi Ordu, commended both Senator Tinubu and Lady Valerie Siminalayi Fubara for complementing the state government’s development efforts, and urged the beneficiaries to make judicious use of their grants.
Also speaking at the event, Justice Mary Odili (rtd) applauded the Renewed Hope Initiative for creating opportunities that uplift citizens across sectors, noting the overwhelming turnout as a testament to the programme’s impact.
“The joy on the faces of these women today shows how deeply this empowerment has touched lives,” she remarked.
In her welcome address, State Coordinator, RHI, Hon Tonye Briggs-Oniyide, said that the women beneficiaries have been selected through a meticulous and transparent process from across the 23 local government areas, thanking them for their resilience and support to the government.
She charged the beneficiaries to make good use of the grant so as to enhance the economic prosperity of their families and communities.
Highlights of the event were the presentation of the grants to the beneficiaries by Lady Valerie Siminalayi Fubara, and free medical outreach that provided attendees with essential health checks and treatments.
