The Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (OSSAP-SDGs) and the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) have distributed business equipment to 4,500 vulnerable women across the five South-east states, with an additional cash grant of N250 million handed to beneficiaries in Imo.
The intervention was flagged off in Owerri, where First Lady and RHI chairman, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, presented items and cash support. Parallel distributions took place the same day in Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi and Enugu.
Under the core nationwide programme, 500 pre-selected women in each of the five states received equipment. Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma added support for a further 2,000 women in his state, bringing the South-east total to 4,500. Mrs Tinubu separately donated N100,000 to each of the 2,500 Imo beneficiaries, amounting to N250 million.
The items handed out included deep-chest freezers, maxi gas cookers with ovens, generators and industrial grinding machines. Officials said the tools are meant to help recipients start or expand small businesses.
The South-east phase follows earlier distributions in the North-central, South-south and South-west zones. Nationwide, OSSAP-SDGs and RHI aim to reach 18,500 women, 500 in each of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
Mrs Tinubu told the women the programme seeks to equip them with productive assets so they can strengthen their livelihoods and support their families. She linked the effort to Sustainable Development Goals 5 (gender equality) and 8 (decent work and economic growth), and urged beneficiaries to put the equipment and cash to productive use.
“Let these items serve as a foundation for creating a better life for yourselves and your families. I hope and pray that what you received today will prosper in your hands,” she said.
Senior Special Assistant on SDGs, Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, described the exercise as a practical step toward “leaving no one behind.” She said the beneficiaries were drawn from vulnerable groups, including widows, wives of fallen heroes and indigent women who needed capital assets to improve their incomes.
“Our objective is not merely to distribute equipment, but to provide productive assets that can unlock potential, foster economic independence and create opportunities for women to thrive,” she said. She added that economic empowerment of women contributes to reducing poverty, improving household health and education, and advancing several SDGs.
Governor Uzodimma called the equipment “start-up tools and economic lifelines” for indigent women and praised the First Lady, RHI and OSSAP-SDGs for the programme. His wife and Imo RHI coordinator, Chioma Uzodimma, said the additional items for the 2,000 extra beneficiaries would be shared across the state’s three senatorial districts. She also urged recipients to turn the support into lasting businesses.
A story of courage, wonder, and the transformative power of self-belief; perfect for readers aged 10+ who love adventure. To place order: +234 806 130 3237 | +234 803 582 0870 OR Tap the link to grab a copy:https://www.zeekapublish.com/product/the-magical-life-of-anna
