The First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, on Saturday empowered 500 women in Ekiti State with business equipment to boost their economic independence under the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), in collaboration with the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The distribution, which took place at the Osuntokun Pavilion, Government House, featured the presentation of deep freezers, maxi gas cookers with ovens, industrial grinding machines, and generating sets to beneficiaries carefully selected from the 16 local government areas of the state.
Represented by the wife of the Governor of Ekiti State and RHI State Coordinator, Dr. Olayemi Oyebanji, Senator Tinubu said the programme was part of her vision to empower women across the country with the tools needed to enhance their businesses and create sustainable sources of income.
She explained that the empowerment drive was being held simultaneously in Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, and Oyo States, with 500 women targeted in each. According to her, the initiative, which began in February 2025 in Abuja, has so far reached thousands of women in the North Central and South-South zones, and will eventually benefit 18,500 women nationwide across all six geopolitical zones.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs, Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, represented by the Assistant Director, Policy and Strategy, Dr. Yahaya Umar, charged the beneficiaries to use the empowerment tools as a stepping stone toward financial independence and sustainable livelihood.
She noted that research has consistently shown that women entrepreneurs play critical roles in poverty reduction, employment generation, and family welfare, thereby contributing significantly to Nigeria’s economic growth.
In their goodwill messages, Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Chief Monisade Afuye; Commissioner for Trade and Investment, Mrs. Omotayo Adeola; and former Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs. Peju Babafemi, lauded the initiative as a deliberate step toward unlocking the potential of women, fostering self-reliance, and creating economic opportunities at the grassroots level.
They stressed that the programme would not only uplift individual households but also contribute to the larger goal of driving local economic development and reducing unemployment in the state.
Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, some women expressed gratitude to Senator Tinubu, the Office of the SDGs, and the Ekiti State Government, pledging to put the items to good use. They described the gesture as timely, especially in the face of current economic challenges, and assured that the support would enable them to expand their businesses and provide better for their families.
The Renewed Hope Initiative is one of the flagship programmes of Senator Tinubu, designed to complement the Federal Government’s policies on poverty alleviation, women empowerment, and sustainable development.