At least 1,000 women in Rivers State have received financial empowerment grants under the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) of Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, in partnership with the Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) and the Rivers State Government.
The beneficiaries, comprising small-scale traders and entrepreneurs, were each given ₦50,000 to boost their businesses at a ceremony held on Thursday, October 9, 2025, at Government House, Port Harcourt.
While the RHI and TEF provided grants to 500 women, the Rivers State Government, led by Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his wife, Lady Valerie Fubara, extended the gesture to an additional 500 women, bringing the total number of beneficiaries to 1,000.
Representing the First Lady at the event, Lady Valerie Fubara said the initiative was designed to uplift women who form the backbone of many families and communities across Nigeria.
“Let me emphasize that this is not a loan; it is a grant — a seed of renewed hope to help you recapitalize existing businesses. When you empower a woman, you empower a household, a community, and indeed, a nation,” Mrs. Tinubu stated.
She commended Tony Elumelu for his foundation’s ₦1 billion donation to the Renewed Hope Initiative, which aims to empower 18,500 women nationwide with similar grants across Nigeria’s 36 states and the FCT.
Expressing gratitude to the Rivers State Government for its support, Mrs. Tinubu urged other public and private sector actors to emulate Elumelu’s philanthropy by investing in women-led enterprises.
Speaking at the event, Lady Valerie Fubara reaffirmed the state’s commitment to supporting women through economic inclusion.
“This collaboration has come to represent a commitment to improve the economic capacity of women in the state. I urge other well-spirited organizations and business interests to emulate this noble gesture by partnering with RHI,” she said.
She noted that under the Renewed Hope Initiative, women and families have benefited from agricultural, economic, and educational support programmes, describing the ongoing partnership as a practical step toward inclusive development.
Rivers State Deputy Governor, Prof. Ngozi Odu, commended both the First Lady and Lady Fubara for “putting smiles on the faces of Rivers women,” and urged the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the funds.
The Commissioner for Women Affairs, Dr. Roselyne Apawari Uranta, thanked President Bola Tinubu and the First Lady for prioritizing women’s empowerment, while Justice Mary Odili (rtd) lauded the initiative as “an uncommon gesture of goodwill and compassion.”
The event, attended by top government officials, women leaders, and community representatives, featured the symbolic presentation of cash grants to selected beneficiaries, many of whom expressed gratitude for the support.
