The Wife of the President, Senator Oluremi Tinubu has donated one billion Naira along with relief materials including clothes, shoes, and two thousand bags of 50kg rice to Niger State.
Senator Tinubu announced the donation while visiting Niger State to console the Governor of Niger State, Mr Mohammed Bago and the people of the State on the various incidents of flooding, fire, boat accident and banditry attacks.
The First Lady emphasised that the funds would be directed towards housing support and essential supplies to help displaced families get back on their feet, earning a daily living and having a better life which is in line with the objective of the Renewed Hope Initiative, as contained in our motto, Towards a Better Life for Families”.
Senator Tinubu said, as a mother, I share your pain and grief over this irreplaceable loss and devastation. I believe that we all can collectively overcome this tragedy and help this community heal. May God comfort you and grant eternal rest to the souls of the departed. The task of picking up the pieces and rebuilding, crucial yet difficult. However, a lot can be done with a compassionate heart and an extended hand”
In her remark during the visit, the First Lady emphasised that the strength of a nation lies in its compassion, and moments like this, everyone must rise to the occasion to be their brother’s keeper.
Senator Oluremi Tinubu, who said the flood in the market town of Mokwa in Niger State, which left more than one fifty fifty-nine people dead, over four hundred homes destroyed, and more than three thousand persons displaced, was most unfortunate, hence her visit, to bring some respite to the victims.
Responding to the gesture, the Governor of Niger State, Mr Umaru Bago, who thanked the First Lady and the Renewed Hope Initiative for the donations, pointed out that the First Lady, through the RHI, has continued to bring hope to many who seem to have lost hope.
He assured that the donation will be deployed to meet the purpose and ensure that joy is restored to the hearts of the victims of the various mishaps.
Also in Niger State, the visit by the First Lady was an opportunity to also flag off the RHI/ Tony Elumelu Foundation Women Empowerment Program.
Senator Oluremi Tinubu explained that the Economic Empowerment Program is about supporting the entrepreneurial spirit of women traders.
“This Economic Empowerment Program is about supporting the entrepreneurial spirit of our women traders and small-scale business owners who wake up each day determined to provide for their families, educate their children, and uplift their communities. Let me emphasise that this is not a loan. It is a grant and a seed of renewed hope to help you recapitalise your existing businesses. It is my firm belief that when you empower a woman, you empower a household, a community, and indeed, a nation”.
“I thank the Tony Elumelu Foundation, which donated One Billion Naira to the Renewed Hope Initiative, to directly support 18,500 women across the Nation. Five hundred women from each of the 36 states and the FCT will be receiving N50,000 each to strengthen and recapitalise their existing small businesses”.
To round off the one-day visit to Niger State, the First Lady of Nigeria seized the opportunity to pay her respects to two former Heads of State, General Ibrahim Babangida and General Abdulsalam Abubakar.
At their Minna residences, the First Lady expressed joy at seeing them in good health and waxing strong.
She also conveyed the warm regards of her husband, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to the former Heads of State.
Reporting by Taoreed Abdullahi