Wife of the President, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has disbursed N50 million Business Utilization Grant to 250 Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) in Akwa Ibom, in commemoration of the 2025 World Disability Day celebration.
Speaking on the theme: ” Fostering Disability-inclusive Society for Advancing Social Progress” at Government House Banquet Hall, Uyo, Senator Oluremi Tinubu explained that the launch, under Renewed Hope Initiative Social Investment Programme, was to provide support to 250 Persons With Disabilities in each state and the Federal Capital Territory.
She further explained that the programme would also cover disabled veterans from the military and police who once served the country.
Senator Oluremi Tinubu revealed that the empowerment which coincided with the International Day of PWDs, was taking place in all the states simultaneously, emphasizing that it was specifically directed at enhancing the livelihood of PWDs and their businesses, with each person receiving N200,000.
” Today, the Renewed Hope Initiative will provide the sum of N200, 000 Business Utilization Grant to 250 PWDs in each state and the FCT; to support small business owners; to recapitalize their existing businesses and strengthen their means of livelihood.
” Each state in the federation, the FCT, Defence and Police Wives Association (POWA), will receive N50 million to be distributed to beneficiaries in their domains. In total, 9, 500 PWDs across Nigeria will benefit from this programme, amounting to one billion, nine hundred million naira”.
The Wife of the President who was represented at the launch by the State Coordinator, Renewed Hope Initiative, Lady Helen Eno Obareki, noted the alignment of the First Lady’s programme with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Tinubu, saying RHI in the last two years, had supported over one hundred thousand women and small business owners, including PWDs with financial grants to grow their businesses.
Lady Helen Obareki, who was represented by the Commissioner, Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Hon. (Mrs.) Inibehe Silas Etukudo, insisted that RHI had been doing a lot in the areas of agriculture, economic empowerment, health and social welfare to improve the welfare of PWDs and families in Nigeria, and reiterated Senator Oluremi’s commitment to their welfare.
The Wife of the President further added that the programme had also provided financial and material supports to victims of both natural and man-made disasters, widows, fallen heroes, and others in Nigeria.
“Our social Investment programme has provided financial and material supports to victims of communal clashes, disasters, as well as to the elderly, widows, orphans and fallen heroes”.
While revealing the that the Governing Board of RHI had recently resolved to make empowerment for PWDs an annual exercise, the Wife of the President pledged to remain even more committed to uplifting lives and bringing hope to those in need.
She therefore, appreciated Governor Umo Eno and the Coordinator, Office of the Akwa Ibom First Lady, Mrs. Helen Obareki, for supporting all her empowerments and other economic programmes, as well as the livelihoods of PWDs in the state.
In her speech at the launch, the Focal Person for RHI in Akwa Ibom, Mrs. Emem Orok, disclosed that all the different categories of Persons With Disabilities in the state were represented.
She commended the Wife of the President, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, and the Coordinator, Office of Akwa Ibom First Lady, Lady Helen Obareki, for their untiring commitment in enhancing the living conditions of PWDs across all spheres in the country.
Some of the beneficiaries of the empowerment who spoke to our reporter expressed appreciation to the Wife of the President, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, and the State Coordinator of RHI, Lady Obareki, for remembering people whom they said were often forgotten.
A visually impaired Law student of the University of Uyo, Mr. Uduakobong John Bassey, said he was grateful for receiving a payment alert of N200,000 from RHI.
Mr. Bassey Therefore, pledged to invest the money specifically in his cosmetic production business which he said was stunted by lack of funds.
” This benevolence that has reached me will indeed help me along way to expand my business. I am an entrepreneur. I produce all sorts of cosmetics, like air cream, lotion, perfumes, liquid soap and others”.
In a goodwill message, the Commissioner, Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Princess Emem Ibanga, called on Nigerians to embrace PWDs and as well, open doors for them always, arguing that time had passed when people assisted Persons With Disabilities in the name of charity, instead of justice.
She however appreciated Governor Umo Eno for creating the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, enrolment of PWDs in Health Insurance Scheme, appointment of Special Assistant on Persons With Disabilities, among other life- enhancing programmes geared towards changing the narratives.
The Humanitarian Affairs Commissioner also commended Lady Helen Obareki for supporting and staying true to the initiative, as well as initiating her own programmes to still add to the uplift of the livelihood of PWDs.
There were also other goodwill messages from the Special Assistant to Governor Eno on PWDs, Hon. Nnene Bassey, and Chairman of Ibeno Local Government Area, Hon. Glory Effiong.
The launch, which had dignitaries, such as Commissioner, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Offiong Offor; wife of former Akwa Ibom Military Administrator, Fumi Idongesit Nkanga; wife of Deputy Speaker, AKHA, Mrs. Enobong Edidem; Wife of Chairman, Ukanafun LGA, Mrs. Mokut Ukpanah, among others, also featured a cultural display from Council of Art and Culture, Akwa Ibom State.
