Remi Tinubu Empowers 2,500 South-East Women With N250m Support, Equipment

First Lady Oluremi Tinubu has announced N250 million in additional support for 2,500 women in Imo State as part of the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) women empowerment programme.

The announcement was made in Owerri during the distribution of business equipment to women across the five South-East states of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo. Each state has 500 beneficiaries under the regional phase of the programme.

The empowerment items include deep-chest freezers, gas cookers with ovens, generators and industrial grinding machines, which are intended to help beneficiaries establish new businesses or expand existing ones.

Mrs Tinubu said the national programme is expected to reach 18,500 women across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory when the rollout is completed. She urged beneficiaries to use the equipment responsibly to improve their livelihoods and support their families.

Imo State received additional support after Governor Hope Uzodimma provided 2,000 extra empowerment items for women in the state. This increased the number of beneficiaries in Imo from the 500 covered by the national programme to 2,500.

The First Lady commended Uzodimma for the intervention and urged other governors to consider similar initiatives. She also linked women’s economic empowerment to the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly gender equality, decent work and economic growth.

At a separate presentation in Ebonyi State, where 500 women received empowerment equipment on her behalf, Mrs Tinubu warned beneficiaries against selling the items. She said the support was designed to create sustainable economic opportunities for indigent and vulnerable women.

Uzodimma, while welcoming the First Lady, praised her contribution to nation-building and the Federal Government’s support for women and vulnerable groups. He also expressed confidence that the people of Imo would reciprocate President Bola Tinubu’s support for the state at the 2027 election.

The First Lady was also honoured by the Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers with the chieftaincy title Oso Di Eme, meaning “One who supports her husband,” in recognition of her role in supporting and advancing the Tinubu administration’s programmes.