OWERRI, Nigeria – The First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has flagged off the distribution of commercial empowerment equipment alongside a ₦250 million financial grant to 2,500 women entrepreneurs across the South-East geopolitical zone, reaffirming that economic self-reliance for women remains indispensable to the stability and prosperity of Nigerian families, the State House announced in a communique on Thursday, September 10, 2026.
The regional disbursement, executed under the auspices of the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) in partnership with the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (OSSAP-SDGs), took place during an official ceremony in Owerri, the Imo State capital, drawing government officials, community leaders, and women cooperatives from Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo states.
Okay News reports that the intervention provided beneficiaries with high-capacity productive assets, including deep-chest freezers, maxi gas cookers with integrated ovens, power-generating sets, and industrial grain and pepper grinding machines tailored to scale up small-scale catering, agro-processing, and retail enterprises.
Speaking at the launch, Senator Tinubu explained that the regional exercise forms part of a structured nationwide poverty alleviation blueprint designed to empower 18,500 female small-business owners across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, with 500 vulnerable women selected per state.
“Today, 500 preselected women beneficiaries in each state in the South-East will be provided with empowerment items such as deep-chest freezers, maxi gas cookers with ovens, generators, and industrial grinding machines to support them in starting or growing their existing businesses,” the First Lady said.
The beneficiary pool in Imo State was expanded to 2,500 recipients after Imo State Governor Senator Hope Uzodimma procured and contributed an additional 2,000 units of identical equipment, earning commendation from the First Lady, who urged other state chief executives to emulate the counterpart-funding model to amplify the intervention’s social impact.
The First Lady highlighted that the multi-agency initiative directly advances the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, specifically SDG-5 on gender equality and female empowerment and SDG-8 on decent work and inclusive economic growth, following previous regional rollouts completed in the North-Central, South-South, and South-West zones.
“To the beneficiaries of this empowerment program, I encourage you to use these resources judiciously to grow your business,” Senator Tinubu advised the recipients. “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.”
During the event, the Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers conferred on Senator Tinubu the prestigious chieftaincy title of Oso Di Eme of Imo (“One who supports her husband”), recognizing her advocacy, social welfare interventions, and strategic backing for the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR.
Addressing the gathering on national economic conditions, the First Lady appealed to Nigerians to maintain confidence in the reform agenda of the Federal Government, declaring that macroeconomic stabilization measures have navigated the country out of its initial difficulties onto a trajectory of sustained growth and shared prosperity.
