The First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has announced that 18,500 women across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones will benefit from an empowerment initiative, with the North Central region being the first to receive support.
Speaking at an event in Bida, Niger State, on Friday, February 21, 2025, she presented empowerment items—including deep-chest freezers, gas cookers with ovens, generators, and industrial grinding machines—to beneficiaries.
Represented by Niger State First Lady, Hajiya Fatima Umaru Bago, Senator Tinubu emphasised that women’s empowerment is crucial to achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG-5 on gender equality and SDG-8 on decent work and economic growth. The initiative is a collaboration between her Renewed Hope Initiative and the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs.
She noted that the program aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises inclusivity, economic growth, and sustainable development. In the North Central region, 500 women from each state—Niger, Nasarawa, Kogi, Kwara, Plateau, and the Federal Capital Territory—received empowerment items through state First Ladies and Renewed Hope Initiative coordinators.
Senator Tinubu urged beneficiaries to utilise the items effectively, stating, “Let these serve as a foundation for building better lives for yourselves and your families. I hope and pray that what you received today will prosper in your hands.”
She also commended the Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs, Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, for her role in the initiative.
Niger State Commissioner for Small and Medium Enterprises, Mrs. Elizabeth Shaba, assured that the program would reach all senatorial districts in the state. She advised beneficiaries not to sell the items but to use them to improve their livelihoods.
Two beneficiaries, Hadiza Mohammed and Hatikatu Lami Abubakar, expressed gratitude to Senator Tinubu and the state First Lady for the initiative, describing it as a significant boost to their economic well-being.
