The First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has launched a major economic empowerment programme aimed at boosting small businesses run by women across the country.
The programme, funded by a ₦1 billion grant from the Tony Elumelu Foundation, was officially flagged off in Sokoto State on Monday. It is being implemented through the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), a pet project of the First Lady in partnership with the foundation.
The initiative is set to directly benefit 18,500 women entrepreneurs, traders, and small-scale business owners across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Each state, including the FCT, will have 500 pre-selected women receiving a grant of ₦50,000 each to support and expand their businesses.
At the launch event held in Sokoto, the First Lady was represented by Dr. Fatima Ahmed Aliyu, wife of the Sokoto State Governor. She presented the first batch of grants to some of the 500 beneficiaries in Sokoto State.
According to Mrs. Tinubu, the programme is designed not just to support women financially, but to uplift entire families and communities through female-led businesses.
“This is not a loan,” she highlighted. “It is a grant and a seed of renewed hope to help you recapitalize your existing businesses. It is my firm belief that when you empower a woman, you empower a household, a community, and indeed, a nation.”
She thanked the Tony Elumelu Foundation for what she described as a “generous and visionary gesture”, calling on other private and public institutions to support similar initiatives that target economic growth and poverty reduction at the grassroots.
The First Lady also expressed appreciation to the Sokoto State Governor, His Excellency Ahmed Aliyu, and his wife, Dr. Fatima Ahmed Aliyu, for supporting the programme and helping facilitate the launch in their state.
“This grant represents a new beginning for many women. It is a practical step toward self-reliance and long-term economic empowerment,” she added.
The ₦50,000 grant, while modest, is expected to make a meaningful difference for small-scale businesswomen, especially in rural and underserved communities where access to credit or capital is often limited.
In many parts of Nigeria, women form the backbone of the informal economy, running small businesses such as trading, food vending, tailoring, farming, and other services that support household income. However, these businesses are often underfunded and lack support to scale.
By targeting this group, the Renewed Hope Initiative and Tony Elumelu Foundation aim to drive inclusive economic growth and reduce the poverty rate among women-led households.
A beneficiary at the launch in Sokoto, Hauwa Mohammed, who runs a local food business, expressed excitement about the grant. “With this money, I can buy more ingredients in bulk and increase my daily sales. I thank the First Lady and everyone involved,” she said.
The Tony Elumelu Foundation, known for its support of African entrepreneurs through training, mentorship, and funding, has said that the partnership with the First Lady aligns with its vision of empowering young and female entrepreneurs.
The collaboration is one of the latest examples of how public-private partnerships can address urgent economic challenges, especially among vulnerable groups.
The empowerment programme is expected to roll out in other states in the coming weeks, with thousands of women standing to benefit from the financial support.
