By Ovat Abeng
The Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in partnership with the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), has empowered 500 women in Anambra State with start-up items to support their businesses, improve their livelihoods and strengthen their economic independence.
The empowerment programme, held in Awka, on Wednesday, was part of the nationwide rollout of the SDGs/RHI Women Empowerment Programme for women across the five South-East states of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo.
The items presented to the beneficiaries included deep-chest freezers, maxi gas cookers with ovens, generators and industrial grinding machines, among others, aimed at enabling the beneficiaries to establish new businesses or expand existing enterprises.
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Speaking at the event, the First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, said the initiative was designed to promote economic inclusion and empower women to become more financially independent.
The President’s wife, whose message was delivered by the First Lady of Anambra State, Dr. Mrs. Nonye Soludo, said the programme was in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, which prioritises inclusive economic growth and sustainable development, particularly through the economic empowerment of women.
According to her, empowering women also contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 5 on gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, as well as SDG 8 on decent work and economic growth.
She expressed appreciation to the Governor of Anambra State, Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, and his wife, Dr. Mrs. Nonye Soludo, for their support towards the implementation of Renewed Hope Initiative programmes in the state.
Earlier in her welcome message, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs, Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, represented by a senior aide in her office, said the beneficiaries were deliberately drawn from vulnerable segments of society, including wives of fallen heroes, widows, indigent women and other categories of vulnerable women who possess the determination to work and prosper but require the right opportunities and productive assets to improve their livelihoods.
She said the objective was not merely to distribute equipment, but to provide productive assets capable of unlocking potential, fostering economic independence and creating opportunities for women to thrive.
Other speakers who delivered goodwill messages at the event, including the Secretary to the Anambra State Government, Mrs. Chiamaka Nnake, and the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs. Esther Onyekesi, commended the productive partnership between the Anambra State Government and the Federal Government under the present administration.
They urged the beneficiaries to put the items to productive use, noting that the empowerment would have greater impact when the equipment is converted into sustainable businesses, increased household income and improved livelihoods.
The beneficiaries expressed appreciation to Nigeria’s First Ladies for the intervention, describing the items as valuable support that would help them strengthen their businesses and become more economically self-reliant.
