Nigeria's First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has unveiled a N110 million empowerment package aimed at supporting elderly citizens and persons with disabilities across all 109 senatorial districts in the country. The initiative, which is part of her pet project, the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), seeks to provide financial assistance to vulnerable Nigerians. The program comprises two main components, each with a N55 million allocation, targeting 250 beneficiaries apiece.
Under the RHI Economic Empowerment Program for Persons with Disabilities, 250 beneficiaries in each senatorial district are expected to receive N200,000 each. Similarly, the RHI Elderly Support Scheme will provide 250 elderly beneficiaries with N200,000 each per senatorial district. The First Lady made this announcement at a stakeholders' meeting attended by high-ranking government officials, including the APC National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, and Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.
Senator Oluremi Tinubu urged the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial candidates to oversee the implementation of the program and ensure that the funds reach the intended beneficiaries. She emphasized that the decision to work through the senatorial candidates was made after consultations with political leaders on how best to deliver the intervention effectively. The First Lady stressed that the program should not be restricted to APC members, but rather be made available to deserving individuals in their districts.
The initiative reflects Senator Tinubu's longstanding commitment to the welfare of vulnerable Nigerians, drawing on her experience in public service and empowerment initiatives during her 12 years in the Senate. She noted that the vulnerable in society are the people that we are supposed to care for. The RHI had previously supported persons with disabilities and is now expanding its empowerment efforts to provide renewed assistance.
The Senator explained that the intervention for elderly citizens has entered its fourth edition. She also stated that she had considered various approaches to delivering the funds, including working through state coordinators and traditional rulers, before adopting the senatorial district model. This approach is expected to help raise awareness of the RHI's programs and ensure that communities across the country are reached more effectively.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, commended the First Lady for bringing together serving and incoming senators to coordinate the intervention. He described the meeting as an opportunity to strengthen the delivery of programs aimed at improving the lives of vulnerable Nigerians. According to him, President Bola Tinubu had given his nod to the arrangement, adding that the initiative is intended to extend assistance to those in need.
The program's implementation is expected to be carried out in partnership with the APC senatorial candidates, who will leverage their familiarity with their constituencies to identify vulnerable individuals and facilitate the distribution of assistance. The First Lady's initiative aims to make a positive impact on the lives of thousands of Nigerians, providing them with much-needed financial support to improve their well-being.
Key points
- The program targets 250 beneficiaries per senatorial district, with each recipient expected to receive N200,000.
- The initiative comprises two main components: the RHI Economic Empowerment Program for Persons with Disabilities and the RHI Elderly Support Scheme.
- The program's implementation will be overseen by APC senatorial candidates, who will work to ensure that the funds reach the intended beneficiaries.
