Hot Source•Commends Elumelu for donating N1bn to RHI
Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt
The Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) of Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu flagged-off women economic empowerment scheme in Rivers State.
The empowerment scheme, implemented in collaboration with the Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF), and supported by the Rivers State Government, was launched at the 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.
THISDAY observed at the event that about 1,000 women across the 23 local government areas of Rivers State benefited from the empowerment programme, receiving small business recapitalisation grants aimed at expanding their ventures, supporting their families, and strengthening local communities.
Speaking at the flag-off ceremony, Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, explained the financial support was a grant, not a loan, intended to strengthen women-owned businesses.
Represented by the wife of the Rivers State Governor, Valarie Siminalayi Fubara, Senator Tinubu said “Each beneficiary will receive N50,000 to recapitalize her business,” she said.
She added: “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 N1 billion donation to the programme, which she noted has made the grants available to more women across the country.
Mrs. Fubara highlighted the 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 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. 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”, Mrs Fubara.
Rivers State Deputy Governor, Prof. Ngozi Ordu, commended both Senator Tinubu and Mrs. 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, 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.
