Renewed Hope Recapitalization Grant Benefits 1,300 Abuja Traders

1,300 Abuja petty traders have started receiving recapitalization grant alerts of fifty (50) thousand naira each to boost their businesses.

First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu made it happened under the Renewed Hope Initiative, RHI, to Abuja women traders through the FCTA Women Affairs Secretariat.

Presenting the symbolic cheques to 50 the Women at the popular Cyprian Ekwensi Art and Culture Centre in Abuja, Senator Oluremi represented by the Mandate Secretary, FCTA Women Affairs Secretariat, Dr Adedayo Benjamins – Laniyi said the initiative is targeted at reinbursing women in business to enable them sustain their businesses.

She encourages the traders to invest the fifty thousand naira in their businesses for turnover so that they can support their families financially.

She explained that the recapitalization grant of N50,000 to 1,000 women in FCT from the office of the first Lady, is also replicated across the 36 states of the Federation, making a total of 37,000 Petty traders, gulping the sum of N1.850 Billion.

On her part, the FCT Minister of State, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud, described the programme as a significant stride towards empowering women entrepreneurs .

The Minister who was represented by the FCT Coordinator of Social Investment Programme, Hajia Maijidda Adamu Musa, stressed that investment in human capital through the Renewed Hope Initiative in the areas of Economic Empowerment, Education, Health, Social Investment and Agriculture is invaluable.

Earlier, the Mandate Secretary, FCT Women Affairs Secretariat, Dr Adedayo Benjamins – Laniyi clarified that the UN Women have magnanimously keyed into the RHI of the first Lady.

Dr Adedayo Laniyi said the UN women are funding the additional 300 women petty traders grant, and have also made commitment to train the 1,300 women on financial management among other business skills to help them address economic challenges the Nigerian families are grappling with.

Speaking through the Permanent Secretary in her office, Alhaji Kolawole Adetoyi Rabiu, Dr Adedayo lauded the efforts of this administration and pointed out that the creation of Women Affairs Secretariat for FCT was a deliberate show of this Administration’s zeal to put an end to the lamentation and neglect FCT women have suffered in previous years.

She also hinted that the FCT Women Affairs Secretariat was in the process of reactivating all women affairs Centers for the training and empowerment of women as a strategy to drive the nation’s economy.

She added that RHI was a testament that the Government is concerned about the growth of SMEs in the country.

“We recognize that empowering women
economically is not just a moral imperative but a strategic one. When
women thrive, their families thrive, and by extension, our communities and
nation prosper”.

“A total of One Billion, Eight Hundred and Fifty Million Naira (N1,850,0000,000.00) will be disbursed to 37,000 women petty traders across the nation”.

“Today, through the Renewed Hope Initiative Economic Empowerment Programme, we are providing 1,000 pre-selected women petty traders per state with a grant of N50,000 each to recapitalize and grow their businesses”.

“The grants provided today is to assist our women petty traders in overcoming some of their business challenges, expand their businesses create more jobs, and contribute more robustly to our economy”. Adedayo said

One of the beneficiaries, Veronica Olajide Bidemi who is a shoe seller, confirmed the alert of #50, 0000 and prayed that God should remember the organizers for good.

For Memuna Erondu, a Kulikuli and fish seller, ” My joy knows no bound, this money will really help my business this season.”

Also, Mrs Isabella Ajanusi who confirmed the alert of the #50 grant too commended the RHI for remembering 37,000 women across the country at the same time, and urged them to expand the net to cover more women in subsequent outreach .

The event which was well attended by various women groups such as; Women with Disabilities, Association of Women Drivers, National Council for Women Societies, NCWS, Market Women, Women farmers, NGOs And CSOs, witnessed the presentation of #50,000 dummy cheques to 50 participants and #50, 000 cash to another set of 20 women on the spot who were yet to receive their alerts.

By Remi Johnson, Edited By Shakirat Alabi