The Nigerian Government has empowered 500 women in Anambra State with start-up equipment under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)/Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) Women Empowerment Programme.
The initiative, implemented by the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs in partnership with the Renewed Hope Initiative, is part of a nationwide programme targeting women across the five South-East states of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo.
The beneficiaries in Anambra received deep freezers, maxi gas cookers with ovens, generators and industrial grinding machines, among other items, to enable them to establish or expand businesses.
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Speaking at the event in Awka, the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, said the intervention was aimed at promoting economic inclusion and strengthening women’s financial independence.
Her message, delivered by the Anambra State First Lady, Dr Nonye Soludo, said the programme was aligned with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, particularly its focus on inclusive economic growth and sustainable development.
She said empowering women would also contribute to the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 5 on gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, and SDG 8 on decent work and economic growth.
The First Lady commended the Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, and his wife for their support for Renewed Hope Initiative programmes in the state.
Earlier, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs, Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, represented by a senior aide, said the beneficiaries were selected from vulnerable groups.
She listed the beneficiaries as wives of fallen heroes, widows, indigent women and other vulnerable women who had the willingness to work but lacked access to productive assets and opportunities.
Orelope-Adefulire said the programme was designed not merely to distribute equipment but to provide productive assets that could help beneficiaries build sustainable livelihoods and achieve greater economic independence.
The Secretary to the Anambra State Government, Mrs Chiamaka Nnake, and the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs Esther Onyekesi, commended the partnership between the Federal and Anambra State governments.
They urged the beneficiaries to put the equipment to productive use to maximise the impact of the intervention.
The beneficiaries expressed appreciation for the support, saying the equipment would help strengthen their businesses and improve their capacity to earn sustainable incomes.
