Hundreds of women in Rivers State have received N50,000 each as part of an economic empowerment programme jointly organised by the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) of Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, and the Rivers State Government.
The initiative, held on Thursday at the Government House, Port Harcourt, was carried out in partnership with the Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF). While the RHI and TEF supported 500 women, the state government funded an additional 500 beneficiaries.
Represented by the wife of the state governor, Lady Valerie Fubara, Mrs. Tinubu said the programme was designed to help small-scale business owners and women traders strengthen their livelihoods.
“This is not a loan but a grant — a seed of renewed hope,” she said. “When you empower a woman, you empower a household, a community, and a nation.”
She commended the Tony Elumelu Foundation for donating N1 billion to the Renewed Hope Initiative to support 18,500 women across the country, noting that each state and the FCT would have 500 beneficiaries.
Lady Fubara described the initiative as a practical step toward helping women meet immediate economic needs and improve their financial stability. She said the Rivers State Government’s participation reflected its commitment to women’s empowerment.
“This collaboration shows our shared commitment to improving the economic capacity of women in Rivers State,” she said, adding that Governor Siminalayi Fubara “believes empowerment should be value-driven.”
Deputy Governor Professor Ngozi Odu, the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Dr. Roselyne Apawari Uranta, and retired Justice Mary Odili all praised the partnership, describing it as a lifeline for many women entrepreneurs in the state.
They urged the beneficiaries to invest the funds wisely to grow their businesses and contribute to community development.
