By Ozioruva Aliu, Benin City

Five hundred women in Edo State have benefited from the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) and the Tony Elumelu Foundation Women Economic Empowerment Programme, receiving grants of ₦50,000 each to support and expand their small-scale businesses.

They are part of the 18,500 beneficiaries selected across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) under the nationwide empowerment scheme.

Speaking at the presentation ceremony held at the Government House, Benin City, the First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, said the recapitalisation grant was designed to boost existing businesses and improve the lives of women and their families.

Represented by the Edo State First Lady, Mrs. Edesiri Okpebholo, Senator Tinubu described the initiative as a seed of renewed hope, noting that the empowerment programme demonstrates her administration’s commitment to inclusive economic growth.

“I thank the Tony Elumelu Foundation for donating ₦1 billion to support the Renewed Hope Initiative. Eighteen thousand five hundred women across the nation, including the FCT, will receive this grant — 500 from each state — to strengthen their small businesses. This is not a loan; it is a grant to empower women and help them contribute more effectively to the economy,” she said.

Mrs. Okpebholo, who presented the grants to some of the beneficiaries, urged them to make judicious use of the funds. “When you empower a woman, you empower a household, a community, and indeed, a nation,” she added.

She also expressed gratitude to the Tony Elumelu Foundation for its commitment to women’s economic advancement and lauded Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo for supporting the implementation of RHI programmes in the state.

In her goodwill message, the Wife of the Speaker, Edo State House of Assembly (EDHA), Mrs. Barbara Omozele Agbebaku, commended Senator Tinubu for empowering 500 Edo women entrepreneurs and encouraged the beneficiaries to use the grant wisely to improve their livelihoods.

Similarly, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Sally Suleiman, thanked the First Lady of Nigeria and that of Edo State for ensuring that Edo women were included in the nationwide initiative.

Also speaking, Mrs. Mercy Ebhodaghe, Wife of the Chairman, Esan West Local Government Area, appreciated President Bola Tinubu, his wife, and the Tony Elumelu Foundation for the gesture, noting that the grant would help women strengthen their businesses without the burden of repayment.

Some beneficiaries expressed gratitude to Senator Tinubu and the Edo State First Lady for the empowerment. Patience Otaru, one of the recipients, said the grant would significantly boost her business, while Adesuwa Obasogie described the gesture as timely and appealed for an upward review of the grant in light of current economic challenges.

The event was attended by government officials and dignitaries, including Mrs. Taiwo Inumidune, Chairperson, National Council of Women Societies (NCWS), Edo State Chapter; Dr. Eseigbe Eromon, Director, Dorsey Control & Immunization, Edo State Primary Healthcare Development Agency; and other notable personalities.