First Lady Empowers 500 Abia Women With Special Grants

Wife of the president, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has provided N50,000 recapitulation grants to 500 women in Abia State, urging them to use them judiciously.

Tinubu presented the grants to them at the launch of the Renewed Hope Initiative/Tony Elumelu Foundation Women Economic Empowerment Programme in Umuahia, the state capital.

Represented by the wife of the governor, Mrs Pricillia Otti, the first lady stressed that the grant is specifically meant to strengthen and recapitalise their existing small businesses.

She said the grant is in support of the beneficiaries who wake up every day determined to provide for their families, educate their children and uplift their communities.”

“Let me emphasise that this is not a loan. It is a grant and a seed of renewed hope to help you recapitalise your existing businesses.

“It is my firm belief that when you empower a woman, you empower a household, a community and indeed, a nation.”

She expressed gratitude to the Tony Elumelu Foundation, which donated N1 billion to the Renewed Hope Initiative, to directly support 18,500 women across the nation”.

“Five hundred women from each of the 36 states and the FCT will be receiving N50,000 each to strengthen and recapitalize their existing small businesses.”

The first lady also commended the state governor, Dr Alex Otti and the wife for their support in executing all the programmes of the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI).

A representative of the foundation, Mr Ikechukwu Uka, said the grant is not meant for acquiring fashion, paying of house rent or hair dressing but for creation of empowerment.

Uka, who is an alumnus of the foundation, told the beneficiaries that, “this grant is for you to create a chain reaction that will create further employment for others and for the betterment of our children.”

‎Responding on behalf of the other beneficiaries, Mrs Linda Nwosu, expressed appreciation to the wife of the president and the foundation for the grant, assuring that it would yield the desired result.