Nigeria’s First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has launched a nationwide economic empowerment programme for Persons Living with Disabilities (PLWDs), offering business recapitalisation grants under the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) Social Investment Programme.
The initiative, rolled out simultaneously across Nigeria’s 36 states, the Federal Capital Territory, and the Defence and Police Officers’ Wives Association, coincided with the global commemoration of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
In Anambra, the event was hosted at Awka the capital city, where the wife of the state governor, Dr Nonye Soludo, represented by the Deputy Governor’s wife, Lady Oluchi Ibezim, formally unveiled the programme.
Each benefiting state, including Anambra, will distribute ₦200,000 grants to 250 PWDs to strengthen existing small businesses and boost financial independence. 9,500 beneficiaries are expected to receive support totalling ₦1.9 billion nationwide.
While reading out Senator Oluremi Tinubu’s address, Dr Soludo said the initiative reflects the First Lady’s commitment to building an inclusive society where no citizen is left behind.
She noted that empowering PWDs is central to President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises shared prosperity, social protection, and the economic integration of vulnerable groups.
“Our nation grows stronger when every individual is empowered to contribute meaningfully,” Soludo said, quoting disability rights advocate Helen Keller.
“This programme is a reminder that together we can build opportunities that enable everyone to contribute their unique gifts to national development.”
Senator Tinubu, through her message, highlighted that the RHI has supported more than 100,000 women petty traders and small business owners, including persons with disabilities, over the last two years.
She added that the initiative’s social investment programmes have delivered relief to victims of disasters, supported widows, the elderly, and orphans of fallen heroes, and supplied food items to internally displaced and vulnerable communities across 22 states and the FCT under its monthly outreach scheme.
She further announced that the PWD Economic Empowerment Programme will now hold annually on December 3 to mark the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
Anambra State Commissioner for Health, Dr Afam Obidike, praised the state’s First Lady for ensuring that the residents fully benefited from the federal empowerment schemes.
The Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare, Mrs Ify Obinabo, encouraged PWDs not to allow physical limitations to deter them from pursuing their aspirations.
The Chairman of the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD) in Anambra, Comrade Ugochukwu Okeke, described the gesture as compassionate and impactful. He urged the beneficiaries to maximise the grants responsibly to improve their livelihoods.
Beneficiaries were reminded that the ₦200,000 support would serve as a seed for sustainable growth and long-term economic independence, reinforcing the broader goal of building a more inclusive and resilient Nigerian society.