The First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, on Tuesday launched the Renewed Hope Initiative – Women Agricultural Support Programme (RHI-WASP) simultaneously in four zones of the federation: the Southwest, the Northcentral, the Northeast, the Northwest.
She said the initiative was taken to boost agriculture and further empower women farmers across the country.
During the launch of the Southwest zone of the programme at June 12 Cultural Centre in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, the First Lady also gave N100,000 each to 100 physically challenged entrepreneurs to boost their businesses.
Mrs. Tinubu presented cheques of N10 million to each of the six states in the Southwest – Ogun, Lagos, Osun, Oyo, Ondo, and Ekiti for onward disbursement to the beneficiary – 120 women farmers selected across the states.
The beneficiaries are women involved in animal husbandry, poultry farming, and fish farming.
The First Lady said: “The administration of President Bola Tinubu recognises the pivotal role agriculture plays in achieving sustainable development and ensuring food sufficiency.
“Therefore, the Renewed Hope Initiative commitment to supporting women farmers nationwide aligns with the broader agenda to strengthen agricultural sector
“Today, we are supporting 20 women per states in the Southwest with N500,000 each. To this end, a draft cheque of N10 million per state will be handed over to the first ladies who are the Coordinators of this programme in each of the Southwest states for disbursement to the beneficiaries.”
She urged the beneficiaries to expand their farming entrepreneurship, improve their contribution to national and local food production and serve as role models to aspiring women in the country.
Also, during the launch of the Northcentral zone of the programme in Jos, the Plateau State capital, Mrs. Tinubu announced the release of N10 million to women farmers in each of the states in the zone.
Twenty women were selected from each of the states in the zone – Kogi, Benue, Plateau, Kwara, Niger, Nasarawa, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) – totalling 140 women.
In the Northwest, comprising Kebbi, Katsina, Kaduna, Kano, Jigawa, Sokoto, and Zamfara states, held in Birnin-Kebbi, the Kebbi State capital, Mrs. Tinubu announced a competition, called “Every Home A Garden”.
The First Lady, who was represented by the wife of House of Representatives Speaker, Hajiya Fatima Tajuddeen Abbas, said the competition is meant “to encourage each Nigerian woman to cultivate a garden at home to feed the family and share with neighbours. We want to see food on every table”.
The winner of the competition, she added, would get N20 million star prize.
Also, in the Northeast, which comprises Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba, and Yobe state, held in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, the First Lady distributed cheques to some of the pre-selected recipients of women farmers and Persons with Disability Small Business Owners in the state.
Mrs. Tinubu, who was represented by the wife of the Vice President, Hajia Nana Shettima, announced that other upcoming initiatives under the RHI include “Food on EveryTable” and “Young Farmers’ Club”.