Nigeria’s First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, on Wednesday disbursed ₦50 million to 1,000 petty traders in Ile-Ife, Osun State, under the Renewed Hope Initiative to support small businesses and improve livelihoods.
The empowerment programme, held at Kensington Hall inside the Ooni’s Palace in Ile-Ife, provided ₦50,000 each to the beneficiaries to help them expand their businesses.
Represented by the Osun State All Progressives Congress (APC) Women Leader, Alhaja Kudirat Fakokunde, the First Lady urged the beneficiaries to invest the grants prudently for the growth of their businesses.
She said the intervention was aimed at improving the economic well-being of petty traders and enhancing the welfare of their families.
Also speaking, Dr Sekinat Oyebamiji, wife of the APC governorship candidate in Osun State, encouraged the beneficiaries to make productive use of the funds to strengthen and grow their businesses.
Mrs Kafayat Oyetola, wife of the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, called on residents of Ile-Ife to support the APC governorship candidate in the Aug. 15 governorship election and President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, commended the First Lady for empowering petty traders, describing the initiative as timely and capable of improving the livelihoods of vulnerable residents across communities.
The monarch said the Renewed Hope Initiative reflected the Federal Government’s commitment to uplifting the less privileged, adding that meaningful empowerment programmes should prioritise those most in need.
He assured that all verified beneficiaries would receive their grants and urged recipients to invest the funds wisely to strengthen their businesses and improve their economic fortunes.
source: NAN
