Ekiti First Lady, Renewed Hope Initiative , empower 3,300 Women With N100m Grants, Tools

No fewer than 3,300 women across Ekiti State have received cash grants and empowerment tools worth over N100 million through a collaborative intervention of the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) of Nigeria’s First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, and the WAOH Support Foundation founded by Ekiti State First Lady, Dr Olayemi Oyebanji.

The beneficiaries received the support at an empowerment programme tagged “Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) Empowerment of 2,000 Petty Traders and Ekiti First Lady’s Mega Empowerment”, held at the Osuntokun Pavilion, Government House, Ado-Ekiti.

Under the initiative, 2,000 petty traders received cash grants of N50,000 each through the RHI, while another 1,300 women, including widows and other vulnerable persons, received various empowerment tools from the WAOH Support Foundation.

Items distributed included deep freezers, generators, sewing machines, grinding machines, hairdressing kits, modern farm sprayers and other agricultural inputs aimed at boosting small-scale businesses and improving household incomes.

Speaking at the event, Dr Oyebanji described the programme as a deliberate intervention designed to empower women economically, reduce poverty and create sustainable livelihoods for families across the state.

She said the initiative reflected the shared commitment of President Bola Tinubu and Gov. Biodun Oyebanji to improving the welfare of women, petty traders, widows and other vulnerable groups.

The First Lady expressed appreciation to Sen. Oluremi Tinubu for her continuous support to Ekiti State, citing the recent inauguration of an ICT Centre at Ekiti State University and the N100 million grant for women empowerment as evidence of her commitment to uplifting women and communities.

“Today is another clear demonstration of our commitment to improving the lives of Ekiti people, especially our hardworking women who remain the backbone of our homes, communities and economy.

“I commend the First Lady of Nigeria for her unwavering support for women across the country. I believe this empowerment will go a long way in improving the lives of our women,” she said.

Dr Oyebanji also commended Gov. Oyebanji for his people-oriented leadership, which she said had continued to attract development initiatives and opportunities to the state.

She added that the governor remained committed to ensuring that women across all local government areas benefitted from the Nigeria for Women Programme Scale-Up through the prompt payment of counterpart funds.

The First Lady further urged residents yet to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to do so and participate actively in the June 20 governorship election.

The Chief of Staff to the Governor,Mr Niyi Adebayo, who represented, Governor Biodun Oyebanji at the event commended Ekiti women for their resilience, productivity and contributions to community and economic development.

He also highlighted the achievements of the administration in the health sector, particularly the reduction in child mortality rates across the state.

Dignitaries at the event, including the Deputy Governor, Chief (Mrs.) Mojisade Afuye; the Deputy Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Bolaji Olagbaju; commissioners, wives of traditional rulers and other stakeholders, praised Sen. Oluremi Tinubu for her interventions in Ekiti State.

They also encouraged residents to remain actively engaged in the democratic process.

Some beneficiaries, including persons with disabilities, expressed appreciation to Sen. Oluremi Tinubu and Dr Olayemi Oyebanji for the empowerment support.

They described the gesture as timely and capable of cushioning the effects of the current economic challenges.

The event marked another milestone in efforts to empower women, strengthen small businesses and promote inclusive economic growth across Ekiti State.