By Crystal Ugoeze
Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, on Wednesday marked the 2025 International Day of Persons with Disabilities with business support grants to 9,500 beneficiaries across the country.
The initiative, executed under the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), provided N200,000 each to persons with disabilities (PWDs), with the national launch held at Mambilla Barracks, Abuja, where 250 physically challenged veterans from the military and police received their cheques.
Speaking at the event, Senator Tinubu said the empowerment programme reflects her conviction that a nation thrives when every citizen is given the opportunity to contribute meaningfully.
“Our nation grows stronger when every individual is empowered to contribute meaningfully,” she said, quoting disability rights advocate Helen Keller: “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”
She explained that disbursements were carried out simultaneously in all 36 states, the Federal Capital Territory, and through the Defence and Police Officers’ Wives Association (DEPOWA).
According to the First Lady, the intervention aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises inclusive development.
“It seeks to promote inclusive growth and shared prosperity by ensuring that no Nigerian is left behind, especially those whose needs are often overlooked,” she stated.
Senator Tinubu disclosed that the RHI has supported more than 100,000 petty traders and small business owners over the last two years, including persons with disabilities.
“Our commitment to improving lives has also been demonstrated through various interventions in Agriculture, Economic Empowerment, Education, Health, and Social Welfare aimed at improving the well-being of families across our country,” she said.
The First Lady announced that the empowerment for persons with disabilities will now become an annual event held every December 3rd to commemorate the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
She urged beneficiaries to use the grants wisely: “Let it be a seed that grows into something greater; a business that sustains you and your family.”
Representing the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, a military official praised the initiative as a practical show of compassion and continuity with RHI’s humanitarian interventions, including food and medical outreach programmes across states.
The event marks RHI’s expanding stake in disability inclusion and entrepreneurial support.