Oluremi Tinubu empowers 1,000 Lagos Women under Renewed Hope Scheme

Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, on Saturday launched the South-West edition of the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) Women Empowerment Programme, announcing that a total of 18,500 women across the country would benefit from the scheme.

The flag-off ceremony, held at the Governor’s Office, Alausa-Ikeja, Lagos, brought together top government officials, state first ladies, women leaders, and hundreds of beneficiaries.

The event marked the distribution of empowerment tools to 500 women in each of the six South-West states-Ekiti, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, and Lagos, taking place simultaneously across the region.

Addressing the gathering, Mrs. Tinubu said the initiative was designed to provide women with equipment and resources to either start or expand their businesses, thereby boosting family incomes and accelerating national development.

“I am delighted to join you here today for the presentation of empowerment items to 500 women in each State in the South-West geo-political zone. This presentation is taking place simultaneously in all these States as I speak,” she said.

The First Lady disclosed that the programme, which began in February in Abuja, had already reached women in the North Central and South-South zones, with the North-West slated as the next beneficiary region.

In Lagos, 500 pre-selected beneficiaries received items such as deep freezers, maxi gas cookers with ovens, generators, and industrial grinding machines.

However, the number of beneficiaries in Lagos rose to 1,000 following additional support from Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who contributed 500 more empowerment items.

“I am pleased to learn that our amiable Governor, Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, has supported this programme with an additional 500 empowerment items, which brings the total number of beneficiaries in Lagos State to 1,000 women,” Mrs. Tinubu said.

She stressed that the programme was in alignment with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which prioritises inclusivity, economic growth, and sustainable development, particularly for women.

She further linked the initiative to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDG-5 on gender equality and SDG-8 on decent work and economic growth.

“To the beneficiaries of this empowerment programme, I encourage you to use these resources judiciously to grow your businesses. Let these items serve as a foundation for creating a better life for yourselves and your families,” she urged.

Governor Sanwo-Olu, in his welcome address, described the ceremony as a “historic occasion” that highlighted the transformative power of investing in women.

He praised the First Lady for her decades-long dedication to women and children, describing her as a beacon of hope whose interventions prove that empowerment is not charity but “justice, opportunity, and nation-building.”

“This ceremony, the empowerment of 1,000 women, is far more than the distribution of support-it is the sowing of seeds that will grow into forests of possibilities. Each woman here today carries not only her own dream but also the dreams of her family and community,” Sanwo-Olu said.

The Governor noted that the programme complemented Lagos State’s inclusive development agenda, which positions women not just as beneficiaries but as active drivers of growth.

He pledged that the State Government would further strengthen the scheme through skills development, mentorship, and access to wider opportunities, ensuring that its impact goes beyond statistics.

“To the women who will receive support today: this moment is more than the items in your hands. It is a call to dream bigger, to stand taller, and to lead within your families and communities,” he said.

Sanwo-Olu also thanked Mrs. Tinubu for choosing Lagos as the venue for the South-West flag-off, saying it underscored her abiding love for the State and her lifelong devotion to uplifting families and healing communities.