BY EVELYN ZORZOR
1,000 petty traders were, yesterday, empowered with grants to recapitalize their businesses by the wife of the Delta State Governor, Deaconess Tobore Oborevwori.
The empowerment was done under the auspices of the Renewed Hope Initiative of the wife of the President, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, in collaboration with the Tony Elumelu Foundation and with support from the state government.
Each of the 1000 beneficiaries from across the 25 local government areas of the state received the sum of N50,000 to boost their businesses.
In her welcome address, the First Lady reiterated that the money received by the beneficiaries were not loans.
In her words: “Let me emphasize that this is not a loan, it is a grant and a seed of Renewed Hope to help you recapitalize your existing businesses.
“This Economic Empowerment Programme is about supporting the entrepreneurial spirit of our women traders and small-scale business owners who wake up each day determined to provide for their families, educate their children, and uplift their communities.
“It is my firm belief that when you empower a woman, you empower a household, a community, and indeed, a nation”, she said.
She thanked the partners who supported the project. “I thank the Tony Elumelu Foundation, who donated One Billion Naira to the Renewed Hope Initiative, to directly support 18,500 women across the Nation.
“Five hundred women from each of the 36 states and the FCT will be receiving N50,000 each to strengthen and recapitalize their existing small businesses”, she added.
Recall that this is the second edition of RHI empowerment programme of traders, where 500 persons were beneficiaries of the first edition. The second edition was however broadened to include members of the Christian groups, Muslims, wives of security officers, petty traders, Journalists and several other groups.
The beneficiaries expressed their gratitude to the federal and state government for the grant, affirming that they businesses had received a significant boost.
