About 250 Persons With Disabilities (PWDs), in Nasarawa State have benefited from the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), Economic Empowerment Programme by the Nigeria’s First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu.
The country’s First Lady while speaking at the disbursement exercise in Lafia, Nasarawa State on Wednesday, disclosed that each of the beneficiaries would be given N200,000, adding that this would go a long way in eradicating poverty to a bearest minimum among the vulnerable and less privileged persons in the society.
Senator Oluremi represented at the event by Hauwa Jugbo, Nasarawa State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Humanitarian Services, narrated that the benevolence gesture was borne out of a steadfast commitment to the well-being of the PWDs.
Oluremi, however, affirmed that the gesture was a business capitalization grant to support PWDs to open their businesses, boost existing ones and strengthen their means of livelihood.
The First Lady added further that she extended a similar gesture to all 36 states and the FCT, as well as the Defence and Police Officers’ Wives Association.
Her words, “Each state of the federation, the FCT, and the Defence and Police Officers’ Wives Association was giving N50 million, amounting to N1.9 billion.”
According to her, the initiative has aligned with the Renewed Hope agenda of the Federal Government which seeks to promote inclusive growth and shared prosperity by ensuring that no Nigerian is left behind.
She then recalled that she has supported over 100,000 women petty traders and small business owners, including PWDs, with direct financial grants to grow their businesses in the last two years.
She, therefore, announced that the Governing Board of RHI had resolved to make the economic empowerment programme for PWDs and an annual event to be held every December 3 in commemoration of the International Day of PWDs.
Meanwhile, Silifat Sule, Wife of Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State, who inaugurated the disbursement of the grants, applauded the First Lady for the continued support to the people of the state in the last two years.
She explained that the beneficiaries were carefully selected from the 13 Local Government Areas of the state to ensure that the gesture spread to the nooks and crannies of the state.
The Nasarawa State Governor’s Wife, therefore, urged the beneficiaries to utilise the money to better their lives and those of their family members.
Salah Barde, Executive Secretary, Nasarawa State Disability Rights Commission, who spoke on behalf of the beneficiaries, expressed joy to the First Lady as well as the Wife of the Nasarawa State Governor for the kind gesture.
Barde reiterated the commission’s unwavering commitment to ensure that the beneficiaries utilized the money to better their lives and not to lavish it on things that would not bring growth and development to them and their families.
Umar Muhammed
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