The First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu has empowered 250 persons living with disabilities in Ondo State with N200,000 each through the Renewed Hope Initiative empowerment programme. The event, held at the Ondo State Internal Revenue Service office, marked the commemoration of this year’s World Disability Day with the theme Fostering Disability-Inclusive Societies For Advancing Progress.
The initiative is being replicated across the 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, as part of efforts to identify with the challenges faced by people living with disabilities, including disabled veterans from the military and police, to recapitalize their businesses and strengthen their economic resilience.
Senator Tinubu, represented by the First Lady of Ondo State and coordinator of the RHI in the State, Mrs Oluwaseun Aiyedatiwa, disclosed that nine thousand five hundred Persons with Disabilities nationwide will benefit from the programme, amounting to One Billion, Nine Hundred Million Naira.
She encouraged beneficiaries to make meaningful use of the support, saying, “Today, the Renewed Hope Initiative will provide the sum of two hundred thousand naira Business Recapitalization Grants to two hundred and fifty Persons with Disabilities in each State and the Federal Capital Territory to support small business owners to recapitalize their existing businesses and strengthen their means of livelihood.”
She added that no society grows without inclusion, recalling the words of Helen Keller, the American disability rights advocate, who said, Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much. According to her, this reminds the nation that inclusive growth is only possible when everyone is given a fair chance and empowered to contribute their skills to collective development.
Highlighting the long-term plan, Mrs Aiyedatiwa stated, “In recognition of our shared responsibility to promote inclusion, the Governing Board of the Renewed Hope Initiative has resolved to make the Economic Empowerment Programme for Persons with Disabilities an annual event, to be held on December 3rd, in commemoration of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. I encourage you to make good use of this opportunity. Let it be a seed that grows into something greater; a business that sustains you and your family.”
Also speaking at the event, the Ondo State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Dr Seun Osamaye, congratulated the beneficiaries and described the day as special in the State’s history because 250 persons with disabilities would be going home with N200,000 each. She commended Governor Aiyedatiwa for his continuous support towards persons with disabilities, noting that many residents in Ondo State can proudly say they are benefiting from the RHI due to the cordial relationship between the State and the Federal Government. She assured participants of more opportunities in the coming year.
The Chairman of the Joint Association of Persons Living with Disabilities, Mr Olusegun Abiodun, thanked Senator Tinubu and the State government for what he called timely intervention. He assured that the beneficiaries would use the funds judiciously to boost their businesses, adding that the support would go a long way in sustaining their livelihoods and improving their economic stability.
