Philanthropist Empowers FCT Women At Nyanya Market With Funds

A philanthropist and humanitarian advocate, Cleo Nelson-Adoga, has launched a soft grant intervention programme for women at Nyanya Market, aimed at strengthening small-scale trading and improving household economic stability.

The initiative, implemented by the Rise and Thrive Humanitarian Foundation, attracted a large gathering of traders, community leaders, and beneficiaries, who described the programme as a timely intervention amid rising economic pressures affecting informal-sector operators across the FCT.

The outreach, which coincided with her birthday anniversary on May 9, 2026, transformed the celebration into a platform of impact-driven social intervention, deliberately focused on uplifting market women and vulnerable small-scale traders within the Nyanya community.

During the event, Nelson-Adoga reaffirmed her commitment to supporting vulnerable women in business, noting that market women remain a critical pillar of local commerce and family sustenance.

She emphasised that the intervention was designed not just to provide financial relief but also to offer sustainable business support capable of generating long-term economic growth.

Under the programme, selected beneficiaries comprising vegetable traders, foodstuff dealers, and small-scale food vendors received financial grants of ₦400,000 each to serve as an immediate capital injection into their trading activities for business expansion and improved financial stability.

In addition to the major grants, over 25 other beneficiaries received cash support N50,000 each, further extending the initiative’s reach to a wider category of vulnerable women in the informal market sector.

The dual-tier empowerment structure was widely commended by stakeholders for its inclusiveness, ensuring that both established traders and smaller-scale operators benefitted from the intervention. Many beneficiaries expressed deep appreciation, describing the grants as a lifeline that would help stabilise their businesses, replenish stock, and improve daily income generation.

Several leaders at Nyanya Market praised the initiative as a model of impactful philanthropy, calling on other private individuals, corporate organisations, and development partners to emulate similar grassroots-driven empowerment programmes that directly target the informal economy.

Community representatives also highlighted the programme’s broader significance, noting that empowering women traders directly contributes to family welfare, educational support, and community stability, given the central role women play in household financial management.

The event concluded with renewed commitments from Nelson-Adoga to expand the empowerment initiative to other markets across the FCT, as part of a broader vision to promote economic resilience, financial inclusion, and sustainable livelihood support for women at the grassroots level.