First Lady Oluremi Tinubu on Wednesday announced a ₦250 million donation to 2,500 women in the South-East as she flagged off the distribution of business equipment to beneficiaries across the five states in the region.
The beneficiaries, comprising 500 women each from Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo states, received equipment to establish new businesses or expand existing ones under a collaboration between the Renewed Hope Initiative, RHI, and the Office of the Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs.
Mrs Tinubu performed the flag-off ceremony in Owerri, Imo State, where she said the empowerment programme was designed to strengthen women’s economic participation and improve livelihoods.
The equipment distributed includes deep-chest freezers, maxi gas cookers with ovens, generators and industrial grinding machines.
Her Senior Special Assistant on Media, Busola Kukoyi, said the First Lady’s ₦250 million cash donation will provide additional support to the 2,500 beneficiaries to grow their businesses.
Mrs Tinubu said women’s economic empowerment remained critical to the well-being and prosperity of families and society, urging the beneficiaries to put the resources to productive use.
She explained that 18,500 women would benefit from the initiative by the time the nationwide rollout is completed, with 500 beneficiaries selected from each of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
“Today, 500 preselected women beneficiaries in each state in the South-East will be provided with empowerment items such as deep-chest freezers, maxi gas cookers with ovens, generators and industrial grinding machines to support them in starting or growing their existing businesses,” she said.
The First Lady also commended Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma for providing an additional 2,000 empowerment items for women in the state.
Also Read: Edu commends Tinubu, First Lady over food interventions
The intervention brings the number of beneficiaries in Imo from the 500 allocated under the national programme to 2,500.
“In addition to the 500 beneficiaries in Imo State, I am pleased to learn that the Governor of Imo State has provided 2,000 additional empowerment items, bringing the total number of beneficiaries in the state to 2,500.
“I commend His Excellency for this generous gesture and encourage other state governors to emulate this worthy example,” she said.
Mrs Tinubu said empowering women was central to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 5, which focuses on gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, and SDG 8, which promotes decent work and economic growth.
“Similarly, empowering women in all spheres of life is central to achieving all the SDG goals, especially SDG 5 on ‘achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls’ and SDG 8 on ‘decent work and economic growth,’ both of which are relevant to the purpose of this gathering,” she said.
She urged the beneficiaries to regard the equipment as an opportunity to improve their livelihoods, strengthen their businesses and provide better lives for their families.
“To the beneficiaries of this empowerment programme, I encourage you to use these resources judiciously to grow your business. Let these items serve as a foundation for creating a better life for yourselves and your families. I hope and pray that what you received today will prosper in your hands,” she said.
The First Lady also urged Nigerians to continue to have confidence in the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, saying the country had emerged from its difficult economic phase and was moving steadily towards greater prosperity.
The South-East exercise is the latest phase of the RHI and Office of the SDGs women’s empowerment initiative. The programme was first flagged off for the North-Central zone in Abuja on February 21, 2025, followed by distributions in the South-South and South-West geopolitical zones.
Earlier at the event, the Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers conferred the chieftaincy title of “Oso Di Eme of Imo”, translated as “One who supports her husband”, on Mrs Tinubu.
The traditional rulers said the honour recognized the First Lady’s role in supporting and advancing the policies and programmes of the Tinubu administration for the benefit of Nigerians.
The Nation Online
