Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has provided N25 million in grants to 500 small-scale women entrepreneurs in Ondo State through the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), in collaboration with the Tony Elumelu Foundation.
The empowerment programme, unveiled on Thursday in Akure, seeks to strengthen the capacity of women traders and small business owners to sustain their livelihoods, support their families, and contribute to community growth.
Represented by Mrs Oluwaseun Aiyedatiwa, wife of the Ondo State Governor, Senator Tinubu explained that each beneficiary would receive a N50,000 non-repayable seed fund to recapitalise their existing businesses. She noted that the scheme was created to boost economic activity at the grassroots rather than place any repayment burden on participants.
Backed by a N1 billion donation from the Tony Elumelu Foundation, the RHI scheme will reach 18,500 women across the country. Senator Tinubu commended Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa and his wife for their collaboration in implementing RHI projects in Ondo State.
The Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Dr Seun Osamaye, stated that the programme demonstrated the Aiyedatiwa administration’s determination to harness federal opportunities for the benefit of residents. She also applauded the Tony Elumelu Foundation for its role in the initiative.
