From Ahmad Ibrahim Gusau
The First Lady and wife of the President, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, has disbursed N50 million to 1,000 petty traders in Zamfara State, stating that petty traders are the heart of Nigeria’s local economy.
Speaking on Thursday at the formal disbursement of cash grants to women petty traders held in Gusau, the state capital, the Nigerian First Lady, represented by the wife of the Zamfara State Governor, Hajiya Huriya Dauda Lawal, said the program was part of the federal government’s Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) on economic empowerment.
“I’m honored to be here at the empowerment program for 1,000 women petty traders across the nation, as part of our continued commitment to drive economic growth towards a better life for families. We are all aware of the challenges faced by Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), especially petty traders, who form the backbone of our local economies.
“These challenges, however, have not diminished the strength of our women. I salute you all and celebrate your courage and resilience that keep you going to put food on the table for your families,” she stated.
According to her, through the Renewed Hope Initiative’s Economic Empowerment Programme, “we are providing 1,000 pre-selected women petty traders in Zamfara State with a grant of N50,000 each to recapitalize and grow their businesses.” She added, “A total of One Billion, Eight Hundred and Fifty Million Naira (N1,850,000,000.00) has been disbursed to 37,000 women petty traders across the nation.”
“The business grants provided are to assist our women petty traders in overcoming some of their business challenges, expanding their businesses, creating more jobs, and improving our economy.”
She emphasized that economic empowerment remains a core objective of the Renewed Hope Initiative and that they have consistently delivered on this promise for both women and youth across the six geopolitical zones to support the economic reforms of the administration of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR.
“We recognize that empowering women economically is not just a moral imperative but a strategic one. When women thrive, their families thrive, and by extension, our communities and nation prosper.”
“To the 1,000 women petty traders who are the beneficiaries of this program, I say, ‘You are the heart of our local economy, the foundation of our communities, and the unsung heroes of our nation.’”
“Let us all continue to work together to build a Nigeria where every woman has the opportunity to succeed, where every small business can grow and contribute to our nation’s prosperity,” she added.
In his remarks, the Zamfara State Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Hon. Abdulrahman Tunbido, lauded the efforts of the federal government and stressed that plans are underway by the state government to provide similar assistance to small and medium enterprises in the state.
He called on the benefiting petty traders to utilize the assistance given to them to become more self-reliant and improve their economic situation for the benefit of the state and the country at large.
