Nigerian First Lady Oluremi Tinubu
By DANJUMA JOSEPH, Lafia
No fewer than 250 Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) in Nasarawa State have benefited from the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) Economic Empowerment Programme of Nigeria’s First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu.
The programme aims to empower persons with disabilities through business recapitalization grants, aligning with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Mrs Tinubu, while speaking during the disbursement exercise on Wednesday at Government House Lafia, said that each of the beneficiaries would be given N200,000.
The first lady, represented at the occasion by the Nasarawa State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Humanitarian Services, Hauwa Jugbo, said that the gesture was borne out of a steadfast commitment to the well-being of the PLWDs.
She noted that the gesture was a business recapitalisation grant to support PWDs to open their businesses, boost existing ones and strengthen their means of livelihood.
According to the First Lady, the same gesture was being replicated in all 36 states and the FCT, as well as the Defence and Police Officers’ Wives Association.
“Each state of the federation, the FCT, and the Defence and Police Officers’ Wives Association was giving N50 million, amounting to N1.9 billion” she said.
She further explained that the initiative aligned with the Renewed Hope agenda of the Federal Government, which seeks to promote inclusive growth and shared prosperity by ensuring that no Nigerian was left behind.
The First Lady recalled that she had supported over 100,000 women petty traders and small business owners, including PWDs, with direct financial grants to grow their businesses in the last two years.
In her remarks, wife of Nasarawa State Governor, Hajiya Silifat Sule, appreciated the First Lady for the continued support to the people of the state in the last two years.
She explained that the beneficiaries were carefully selected from the 13 local government areas of the state to ensure that the gesture spread to the nooks and crannies of the state. She urged the beneficiaries to utilise the money to better their lives and those of their family members.
Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, Executive Secretary, Nasarawa State Disability Rights Commission, Salah Barde, expressed gratitude to the First Lady as well as the wife of the Nasarawa State governor for the gesture.
He explained that the commission would ensure beneficiaries used the money to better their lives and not to lavish it on things that would not bring growth and development to them and their families.
