The First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, on Wednesday, donated N50 million to 250 Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in Imo to support their businesses and strengthen their means of livelihood.

9news Nigeria reports that the gesture was carried out through the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) Economic Empowerment Programme under the RHI Social Investment Programme.

In a speech, Tinubu, represented by the Wife of the Governor, Mrs Chioma Uzodimma, said the empowerment coincided with the International Day of PWDs.

She said: “Our nation grows stronger when every individual is empowered to contribute meaningfully.

“Today, the RHI will provide N200,000 Business Recapitalisation Grant to 250 PWDs each in the 36 states and the FCT, to support small business owners.

“Also, each state of the federation, the FCT and the Defence and Police Wives Association will each receive N50 million distributed to their beneficiaries in their domains.

“In total, 9,500 PWDs across the country will benefit from the programme, amounting to N1.9 billion,” she said.

Tinubu said the programme aligned with the RHI of President Bola Tinubu, “which seeks to promote inclusive growth and shared prosperity by ensuring that no Nigerian is left behind, especially those whose needs are mostly overlooked”.

“It is worth noting that over the past two years, the RHI has supported over 100,000 petty traders and small business owners, including PWDs with direct financial grants to grow their businesses.

“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 wellbeing of families across the country.

“Our social investment programmes have provided financial and material support to victims of flood, communal clashes, and disasters as well as to the elderly, widows and orphans of our fallen heroes,” she said.

Tinubu said through the RHI’s monthly food outreach scheme, food items have been delivered to 22 states and the FCT.

She said the programme had also provided food items to the Internally Displaced Persons and other vulnerable communities.

The first lady expressed the programme’s commitment to doing more to uplift lives and bring hope to the needy.

She disclosed that the governing board of RHI had resolved to make the economic empowerment programme for PWDs an annual event, to be held on Dec. 3 in commemoration of the International Day of PWDs.

She commended Gov. Hope Uzodinma and his wife for all their support to the programme.

A beneficiary, Mr Kanayochukwu Odumega, from Oru West Local Local Government Area, thanked the wives of the president and governor for the largesse.

Odumega expressed joy over the gesture, saying the money would help to boost his petty business.