Bukola Afeni
First Lady Oluremi Tinubu has donated N250 million to 2,500 women beneficiaries of an empowerment programme in the South-East, alongside the distribution of equipment to help them start or expand their businesses.
The development was disclosed in a statement signed by Busola Kukoyi, Senior Special Assistant on Media to the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The First Lady made the donation during the flag-off of the distribution of empowerment items to women across the five South-East states of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo in Owerri, Imo State.
She said 500 preselected women in each of the five states would receive items including deep chest freezers, maxi gas cookers with ovens, generators and industrial grinding machines.
Oluremi Tinubu said the nationwide initiative would empower 18,500 women, with 500 beneficiaries selected from each state and the Federal Capital Territory.
She also commended the Imo State Government for providing an additional 2,000 empowerment items, increasing the number of beneficiaries in the state to 2,500.
“I commend His Excellency for this generous gesture and encourage other State Governors to emulate this worthy example,” she said.
The First Lady urged the beneficiaries to use the equipment responsibly to grow their businesses and improve the wellbeing of their families.
“Let these items serve as a foundation for creating a better life for yourselves and your families,” she said.
She said the empowerment of women remained important to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly the goals on gender equality, women’s empowerment, decent work and economic growth.
The initiative, implemented through the Renewed Hope Initiative and the Office of the Sustainable Development Goals, began with the North-Central zone in Abuja on February 21, 2025, followed by distributions in the South-South and South-West zones.
Earlier in the day, the First Lady was conferred with the chieftaincy title of Oso Di Eme of Imo State by the state council of traditional rulers.
The title, which means “one who supports her husband,” was conferred in recognition of her role in supporting policies and programmes of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Oluremi Tinubu also urged Nigerians to continue to trust the administration, saying the country had moved beyond its economic difficulties and was on a steady path towards prosperity.
