August 22, 2025 – The First Lady of Bauchi State, Hajiya Dr. Aishatu Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, has launched the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI)/Tony Elumelu Foundation Women Economic Empowerment Programme in Bauchi.

The programme aims to support women traders and small-scale entrepreneurs who contribute to household and community development, while promoting financial inclusion and small business growth.

Speaking at the event, the First Lady said the ₦50,000 given to 500 preselected women in Bauchi was not a loan but a grant to help them recapitalize and expand their businesses.

She explained, “When a woman is empowered, she uplifts her family, her community, and ultimately the nation.” The initiative highlights the importance of economic empowerment for women and the role it plays in reducing poverty and strengthening local economies.

In addition to the business grants, the First Lady announced another empowerment project targeting Fulani communities across the 20 local government areas of Bauchi State and within the metropolis. Under this plan, 25 groups will share ₦6.3 million in financial support. They will also receive 125 bags of rice and 26 bags of fertilizer, aimed at improving food security and supporting rural livelihoods.

The Bauchi State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Child Development, Hajiya Zainab Babantakko, praised the programme as a major step forward.

She said, “This initiative demonstrates the power of partnership and the strength of women.” She encouraged the beneficiaries to make careful use of the funds to grow their small businesses, achieve financial stability, and become independent entrepreneurs.

The event was attended by senior government officials, wives of political office holders, and hundreds of beneficiaries. Many of the women expressed gratitude for the grants, with several promising to invest in trade and agriculture to create long-term opportunities for their families and communities.

August 22, 2025 – Circulating reports on social media have revealed that the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) is expected to meet with the national executives of NPower over the issue of non-payment of stipends owed to beneficiaries.

According to a letter dated August 5, 2025, the meeting is scheduled to take place on Monday, August 25, 2025, at the NLC headquarters in Abuja.

The letter, which is currently trending online, carries the subject line “Request for intervention in peaceful protest over non-payment of outstanding stipends (8–12 months).”

It was addressed to the Secretary General of the National Association of N-Power Beneficiaries. The document was signed by Comrade Benson Upah, Acting General Secretary of the NLC.

The letter stated, “Arising from your request, the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress led by its President will be available to meet with your team on Monday, the 25th of August 2025 at the Headquarters of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Labour House, CBD, Abuja at 2 pm.”

The NLC headquarters, Paschal Bafyau Labour House, located at the Central Business District in Abuja, was listed as the venue for the roundtable discussion. Other signatories in the letter include President Joseph Ajaero, General Secretary Emmanuel Ugboaja, and Treasurer Ambali Akiem Olatunji.

The development comes after months of complaints by NPower beneficiaries regarding unpaid stipends covering between 8 to 12 months. Beneficiaries had earlier requested the intervention of the labour union to push for the release of their outstanding payments.

Although the NLC has not publicly confirmed the authenticity of the letter or the planned meeting, beneficiaries are hopeful that the leadership of the congress will act on their concerns.

The situation has attracted widespread attention online, with many Nigerians calling on the government to address the financial challenges faced by beneficiaries of the federal empowerment scheme.

For now, NPower beneficiaries have been advised to remain calm and await the outcome of the scheduled meeting.

Attached below is a copy of the circulating letter:

August 22, 2025 – The Federal Government has announced a plan to reach 20 million children through the Homegrown School Feeding Programme by 2026, describing the initiative as both an educational investment and a national security strategy.

Vice President Kashim Shettima disclosed this on Friday at the National Policy Forum on the Institutionalisation and Implementation of the Renewed Hope National Home Grown School Feeding Programme, held in Abuja.

The forum was hosted by the Presidential Committee on Economic and Financial Inclusion, in collaboration with ActionAid Nigeria and other stakeholders.

Shettima, represented by the Special Adviser to the President on Economic Affairs, Office of the Vice President, Dr. Kolade Fasua, said the expansion under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda is the boldest step yet in the history of the intervention.

He explained that the programme, relaunched earlier this year, is designed to improve school enrollment and learning outcomes while creating a guaranteed daily market for smallholder farmers, women entrepreneurs, and local food processors.

“This year, the federal government relaunched the Renewed Hope National Homegrown School Feeding Programme, signalling a decisive return to scale and systemisation. The programme is designed to boost enrollment and attendance, improve academic performance, and raise smallholder incomes through stable local procurement,” he said.

The Vice President added that, alongside the core programme, the government has also inaugurated the Alternate Education and Renewed Hope School Feeding Project.

According to him, this expansion targets out-of-school and highly vulnerable children with the ambition of reaching up to 20 million beneficiaries by 2026.

With the integration of the National Identity Management Commission system, Shettima noted that transparency would be ensured. “Real pupils receive real meals, and every naira spent works twice, once for the child, and once for the local economy,” he said.

Acknowledging the financial implications, Shettima explained that sustaining nationwide coverage could cost as much as one trillion naira. However, he stressed that the initiative should not be seen as a drain on public finances.

“Ambition requires investment, and the federal government has acknowledged that sustaining national coverage may require around one trillion naira. But this is not a cost. It is a nation-building investment with high social, economic, and security return. This is why the school feeding must be understood not just as a social intervention but as a national security investment,” he stated.

He further argued that every hot meal served in a classroom strengthens the social fabric of the country. “Every meal acts as a barrier against recruitment into violent groups, a reinforcement of the state’s presence, and a source of hope in conflict-prone communities. A child with knowledge is less vulnerable to exploitation. A farmer linked to a market is less vulnerable to despair. Communities where youth are engaged are less vulnerable to insecurity,” Shettima said.

According to him, the programme also integrates financial inclusion strategies to strengthen economic resilience. “By bringing MSMEs, women, and vulnerable households into the financial system, we shrink the shadows in which insecurity grows. When local markets thrive, when farmers see guarantees in demand, when cooks receive fair and timely pay, and when women micro-entrepreneurs build assets, the drivers of conflict weaken,” he added.

Shettima called on development partners, private investors, and state governments to align with the federal government’s vision. He noted that the measure of success would not only be in hunger-free classrooms but also in safer and more resilient communities across the country.

In his keynote address, the Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr. Tanko Sununu, represented by the Director of Social Development, Mr. Valentine Ezulu, called for stronger legal and policy frameworks to safeguard the programme. He urged stakeholders to support the establishment of a National Home Grown School Feeding Act that would provide legal backing for the initiative.

“We must work towards enacting a National Home Grown School Feeding Act that guarantees continuity across political cycles, while clearly defining federal, state, and local roles within a cost-sharing framework,” Ezulu said.

He also recommended the development of nutrition guidelines to ensure that meals provided meet international health standards. “A National Nutrition Guideline for Home Grown School Meals, aligned with international best practices, must be developed and enforced to guarantee safe, balanced, and quality meals for every child,” he explained.