Tony Elumelu Foundation Donates ₦1 Billion To Support 18,500 Women Under Renewed Hope Initiative

The Tony Elumelu Foundation has donated N1billion to the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) to support 500 women from each of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to receive N50,000 to strengthen their businesses.

This is coming as the Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, has challenged the Board and management of the Anambra-Imo River Basin Development Authority to close the gaps that exist in water, agriculture, power, food security, livestock, and other sectors in the South-east in particular and Nigeria at large in the course of discharging their duties.

Speaking in Owerri, Imo State capital, during the launch of the Women Economic Empowerment Programme, the First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, said the programme launched under the auspices of the Renewed Hope Initiative Women, in conjunction with the Tony Elumelu Foundation, is part of the federal government’s efforts to empower women economically.

Flagging off the programme at the Banquet Hall, Government House Owerri, in an address read on her behalf by the wife of the Imo State Governor, Mrs Chioma Uzodimma, Mrs Tinubu disclosed that the economic empowerment programme is about supporting the entrepreneurial spirit of women traders and small-scale business owners who provide for their families, educate their children as well as uplift their communities.

The First Lady further disclosed that the Governor of Imo State, in his magnanimity, increased the Tony Elumelu kind gesture by adding another N50,000 each, making it N100,000 to be given to the pre-selected beneficiaries from the 27 local government areas in Imo State.

Senator Oluremi emphasised that the empowerment is not a loan, stressing that it is a grant, a seed of the Renewed Hope Initiative to help them re-capitalise their existing businesses.

“I believe that when you empower a woman, you empower a household, a community, and indeed a nation”, the First Lady opined.

She expressed gratitude to Governor Uzodimma and his wife for their support in executing all the programmes of the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI).

Highpoint of the programme was the presentation of N100,000 cash each to the selected 500 women by Mrs Uzodimma.

In another development, Governor Uzodimma has challenged the Board and management of the Anambra-Imo River Basin Development Authority to close the gaps that exist in water, agriculture, power, food security, livestock, and other sectors in the South-east in particular and Nigeria at large in the course of discharging their duties.

Uzodimma, who spoke while receiving the Board and Management of the Authority led by the Chairman, Senator Emmanuel Anosike, during a courtesy call at Government House, Owerri, expressed confidence in the integrity of the new board, given the background of the Chairman, Senator Anosike, and the Managing Director of the agency, Hon. Emeka Nduka.

Tony Icheku

Source: Arise