The Federal Government, on Thursday, announced its allocation of financial resources to support two million women engaged in agribusiness activities nationwide. Simultaneously, the wife of the President, Oluremi Tinubu, presented bank drafts of N10 million each to the governors’ wives. This gesture aims to bolster women and youth farmers, enabling them to cultivate food and generate income.
The Executive Secretary of the National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA), Paul Ikonne, revealed these developments in a statement issued in Abuja. He noted that the First Lady inaugurated the Renewed Hope Initiative in Owerri, Imo State, as a strategic initiative to enhance food production among women farmers.
Ikonne affirmed NALDA’s dedication to collaborating with the First Lady in promoting agribusiness among women, particularly the younger generation. He highlighted that the agency has earmarked provisions to support two million women in their agribusiness endeavours.
“NALDA has made provision for two million women under this programme, supporting and working with the wife of the President,” he stated.
The Renewed Hope Initiative birthed by the First Lady is a grassroots scheme designed to improve the lives of Nigerians across the six geopolitical zones of the country.
The scheme which aims to empower women farmers and tackle poverty, was flagged off by Tinubu in conjunction with the National Agricultural Land Development Authority.
In her address, the President’s wife said, “The Renewed Hope Initiatives’ commitment to supporting women farmers aligns with a broader national agenda to strengthen the agricultural sector.”
She said the Federal Government recognises the pivotal role that agriculture and agribusiness activities play in achieving sustainable development and ensuring food sufficiency.
To this end, she stressed that the initiative was a 2-in-1 programme to support women farmers nationwide, adding that the scheme would support 20 women farmers per state with the sum of N500,000 each, making it a total of N10m per state.
The First Lady, according to the statement, “presented bank drafts of N10m each to the Southeast first ladies.”
The event had the wife of the Vice-President, Nana Shettima, wife of the Senate President, Ekaette Akpabio, wives of all the Southeast state governors, wife of the Chief of Staff to the President, Salamatu Gbajabiamila, wives of service chiefs, among others, in attendance.
Traditional rulers, industrialists, women cooperative groups, stakeholders and beneficiaries of the scheme from all the South-East states were also present.
In her address, the wife of the Imo State Governor and Zonal Chairman, South-East, Renewed Hope Initiative, Chioma Uzodimma, appreciated President Bola Tinubu and his wife for their support and commitment towards the success of the initiative.
“As we all know, the empowerment of women fuels the progress and building of a more inclusive, prosperous community,” she stated.
“The highlight of the event was the showcase of the different agricultural inputs which were later distributed to the beneficiaries from the South-East,” NALDA stated in its statement.
It added, “Beneficiaries of the scheme, numbering 200, were provided with a kit that consists of maize seeds, liquid fertilisers and herbicides enough to cater for one hectare of maize farm.
“Total targeted hectarage for this particular group is 200 hectares. Another group of 200 beneficiaries got 25 poultry birds that are two weeks old, one battery cage and three bags of feeds that would last till the birds mature.”
