No fewer than 500 business women in Nasarawa State have benefitted from N25 million business support from the First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, in collaboration with Tony Elumelu
By Sunday John
No fewer than 500 business women in Nasarawa State have benefitted from N25 million business support from the First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, in collaboration with Tony Elumelu Foundation.
The first lady, through her foundation, Renewed Hope Initiative, is collaborating with Tony Elumelu Foundation under the Women Economic Empowerment Programme.
Speaking at the event on Tuesday in Lafia, Nasarawa State, the president’s wife said the programme was aimed at boosting the businesses of the beneficiaries.
Mrs Tinubu was represented by the wife of Nasarawa State Governor, Hajia Silifat Abdullahi-Sule.
According to the first lady, the programme is about supporting the entrepreneurial spirit of the women traders and small-scale business owners, who each day are 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 from the N1 billion donated to our foundation by the Tony Elumelu Foundation and is a seed of renewed hope to help you recapitalise your existing businesses.
“We are directly supporting 18,500 women across the nation, 500 from each of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja.
“It is my firm belief that when you empower a woman, you empower a household, a community, and indeed, a nation to strengthen and recapitalise their existing small businesses,” Tinubu said.
Nasarawa State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Humanitarian Services, Mrs Hawa Samuel-Jugbo appreciated the first lady and the foundation for the gesture to empower women in the state.
She explained that the more than 30 petty traders were carefully selected from the 13 local government areas (LGAs) of the state as beneficiaries of the programme.
She noted that women with disabilities were also considered from the whole LGAs to give them a sense of belonging.
She therefore advised the beneficiaries to use the money for the purpose it was meant for to improve themselves and their families.
Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, Jemima Abari, expressed gratitude to the first lady and the foundation for the gesture and promised to utilise it to improve their businesses. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng).