17th April, 2024
By Adejoke Adeleye Ogun
Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu has empowered no few than 120 women farmers in the South West with N60 million as part of her efforts to contribute to sustainable development while also helping to achieve food security in the country.
Senator Tinubu announced the donation during the launch of 2024 Renewed Hope Initiative Women Agricultural Support Programme for South-West held at June 12 Cultural centre Kuto, Abeokuta capital of Ogun.
The First Lady hinted that a similar initiative for the South-East was launched in February 28, 2024 in Imo state.
While addressing the farmers, Senator Oluremi noted that 20 beneficiaries drawn each from the six states in the Southwest Zone would be given the sum of N500,000 under the initiative.
The first lady said the initiative was aimed at supporting farmers across the nation.
To actualise the initiative, Mrs Tinubu presented cheques of N10m to each of the six South-West States of Ogun, Lagos, Osun, Oyo, Ondo and Ekiti for onward disbursement to 120 women farmers selected across the states.
The wife of the President also at the event, under the Renewed Hope Initiative announced a cash grant of N100,000 each for 100 people living with disability in Ogun State which they are to plough into their various existing businesses to make lives more comfortable for them.
The First Lady said the launch of the programme was also being done simultaneously in Plateau for the North Central, Borno for the North East and Kebbi for the North West geopolitical zones.
She added that the initiative will also help to fulfil the Tinubu’s administration’s pledge to continue to promote the women folk, particularly, farmers across the country.
She said “the administration of President Bola Tinubu reconises the pivotal role agriculture plays in achieving sustainable development and ensuring food sufficiency.
“Therefore the Renewed Hope Initiative commitment to supporting women farmers nationwide aligns with the broader agenda to strengthen agricultural sector
“Today, we are supporting 20 women per States in the South-West with the sum of N500, 000 each. To this end, a draft cheque of N10m per State will be handed over to the first ladies who are the Coordinators of this programme in each of the South-West states for disbursement to the beneficiaries”.
She added that the beneficiaries of the intervention will cut across women in the agrarian sector, poultry as well as animal husbandry.
She urged the women farmers beneficiaries to seize the opportunity of the support received to expand their farming entrepreneurship, improve on their contribution to national and local food production and serve as role models to aspiring women in the country.
Tinubu called on all stakeholders including government officials, community leaders and Non-governmental organisations to support local farmers and every efforts that could help to increase food production in the country.
Speaking earlier, the governor of the state, Dapo Abiodun lauded Mrs Tinubu for the initiative, describing the kind gesture as quite exemplary and testimony to the visionary leadership of the First Lady.
Gov Abiodun revealed that the Women Agricultural Support Programme was no doubt a well thought out initiative which would no doubt further encourage women who are into agricultural practices and boost the food production across the country.
He explained that investment in women was quite important as any nation that invested in women was only investing in its future because women are mothers of nations.
He revealed that his administration has equally prioritised empowerment of women as over 50,000 of them have benefited from over N1.5bn Okowo Dapo, a financial assistance scheme initiated by his government to support the women among others.
Speaking earlier, wife of Ogun State Governor, Mrs Bamidele Abiodun thanked the President’s wife for working hard to make life much better for the women and the less privileged in the country through the Renewed Hope Initiative.
Mrs Abiodun maintained the such kind gesture such as the Women Agricultural Support Programme would no doubt impact on the prosperity of the women farmers but also helped in boosting food production in the country.
She equally lauded the first lady for championing the cause of people living with disability like never before calling on other members of the public to give support to these set of people to make life much better for them.
Dignitaries at the event include the wives of all the governors from the South-West as well as wife of the Senate President, Mrs Ekaete Apabio
Highlight of the programme include presentation of farming inputs such as bags of fertiliser, cassava stems, herbicides, bags of maize among others to over 2000 farmers in preparation for the 2024 planting season in Ogun State.