First Lady Oluremi Tinubu on Friday unveiled the North Central Zone Women’s Empowerment Programme at the State House Banquet Hall in Abuja, in a move to bolster women’s economic empowerment and sustainable development.
The initiative, spearheaded by the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) in collaboration with the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (OSSAP-SDGs), aims to directly impact 18,500 women across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, beginning with 500 beneficiaries from each state in the North Central Zone.
The programme, which aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, seeks to equip women with essential tools and resources to start or expand their businesses, fostering economic independence and contributing to national development.
Items distributed include deep-chest freezers, gas cookers with ovens, generators, and industrial grinding machines.
In her keynote address, First Lady Oluremi Tinubu emphasized the critical role of women in nation-building and the alignment of the initiative with global development goals.
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“Women’s empowerment is central to achieving all the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG-5 on gender equality and SDG-8 on decent work and economic growth.
“These items are not just tools; they are stepping stones toward financial independence and a better future for Nigerian women,” she said.
She urged beneficiaries to use the resources wisely, saying, “let what you receive today prosper in your hands as you contribute meaningfully to our nation’s progress.”
Also speaking, Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs, Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, highlighted the transformative potential of the programme.
“Today’s initiative is about unlocking potential, fostering economic independence, and creating opportunities for women to thrive,” she said.
She commended the First Lady for her leadership and reiterated the government’s commitment to ensuring no woman is left behind in Nigeria’s journey toward achieving the SDGs.
Minister of Women Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, praised the initiative for its focus on domestic resource mobilization.
The Nation
