Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has called on farmers to take the lead in strengthening the nation’s food security efforts as the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) distributed empowerment packages to 800 farmers across Rivers State.
Speaking during the RHI Agricultural Empowerment Programme held at the Government House field in Port Harcourt, Senator Tinubu — represented by Lady Valerie Fubara, wife of the Rivers State Governor — encouraged beneficiaries to nurture their seedlings and livestock into viable enterprises that would enhance productivity and improve livelihoods.
The initiative, executed in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, the Rivers State Government, and the Young Farmers Club of Nigeria, provided farmers with seedlings, livestock, and essential agricultural tools aimed at reviving interest in farming and strengthening national food production.
Lady Fubara described the intervention as a strategic investment in Nigeria’s economic stability and community resilience, urging recipients to make full use of the opportunity.
Rivers State Deputy Governor, Prof. Ngozi Ordu, commended the initiative for bridging socioeconomic gaps and demonstrating the transformative potential of government-led interventions.
Head of the Rivers State Civil Service, Inyingi Brown, appealed for similar support to be extended to civil servants, highlighting agriculture’s role in promoting sustainable livelihoods.
Also speaking, the Rivers State Coordinator of RHI, Mrs. Tonye Oniyide Briggs, said the empowerment programme was designed to ensure inclusivity by engaging both young and elderly farmers, as well as men and women, in a balanced approach to agricultural development.
