BY OGORAMAKA AMOS/PORT HARCOURT
About 1,000 women entrepreneurs across Rivers State have received a major financial boost through the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) Women Economic Empowerment programme.
The scheme, which provides a non-repayable grant of ₦50,000 to each beneficiary for business recapitalization was officially launched at a ceremony held at the Banquet Hall of Government House, Port Harcourt.
The programme is a collaboration between the National Renewed Hope Initiative, the Tony Elumelu Foundation, and the Rivers State Government. It is part of a larger national effort targeting 18,500 women across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, represented by the wife of the Rivers State Governor, Lady Valerie Siminalayi Fubara, emphasized that the support is a grant, not a loan, designed to strengthen women-owned small businesses.
“Each beneficiary received ₦50,000 to recapitalize her business,” she stated. “This grant is not to be repaid. When you empower a woman, you empower a household, a community, and indeed, the nation.”
Senator Tinubu also expressed gratitude to the Tony Elumelu Foundation for its substantial ₦1 billion donation to the national programme.
Highlighting the state’s commitment, Lady Valerie Fubara revealed that the State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, had demonstrated strong support by doubling the number of beneficiaries in Rivers State from the initially planned 500 to 1,000 women.
“His Excellency believes that empowerment must be value-targeted,” Lady Fubara said. “I also urge you, recipients to utilize the proceeds from this partnership to support beneficial ventures that will make for economic improvements in your families.
She commended Senator Tinubu for her vision and dedication to uplifting women across the nation.
The Deputy Governor of Rivers State, Prof. Ngozi Odu, commended the initiative for complementing the state government’s development efforts and urged the beneficiaries to use the funds wisely.
Similarly, Justice Mary Odili (rtd) applauded the RHI for creating impactful opportunities. “The joy on the faces of these women today shows how deeply this empowerment has touched lives,” she remarked.
The State Coordinator of RHI, Hon. Tonye Briggs-Oniyide, assured that the beneficiaries were selected through a “meticulous and transparent process” from the 23 local government areas.
The event featured the formal presentation of grant cheques to the beneficiaries and a free medical outreach that provided essential health checks and treatments of attendees.
