Governor Eno expressed his appreciation during the launch of the Renewed Hope Initiative Women Agriculture Support Programme for the South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria, hosted at the Government House Banquet Hall in Uyo. He was pleased with the addition of a support program for individuals with special needs.
“I’m aware that around a hundred individuals with special needs will be financially empowered through the Renewed Hope Initiative Business Recapitalisation Grant at this event,” he remarked. “I particularly want to commend Her Excellency, the First Lady, for the compassionate approach of the Renewed Hope Initiative.”
Eno also recalled the First Lady’s previous empowerment efforts in the state, where 250 elders received N100,000 each. “We pledged our support and adopted that initiative by launching the Arise Initiative for the Elders, which is now active,” he added. “Every month, elders, particularly the vulnerable ones across the 369 wards in all Local Government Areas in the State, receive fifty thousand naira each to address their necessities, especially for food and medicine.”
The Governor underscored the significance of the program in supporting farming communities and ensuring food security. “In the face of our nation’s current economic challenges resulting in soaring food prices, this program will aid our farming communities in returning to the fields,” he stated. Eno also highlighted the state’s dedication to supporting individuals with disabilities. “Among my earliest appointments was that of an assistant to the Governor for students living with disabilities, as well as another for those with special needs,” he explained. “We’ve established a N100 million grant for students with disabilities, having disbursed N250,000 and N350,000 respectively to undergraduates and postgraduates living with special needs.”
At the inauguration of the RHI Women Agricultural Support Programme, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, represented by the Vice President’s wife, Hajia Nana Shettima, revealed that the program aims to empower 20 women from each of the six states in the South-South region with N500,000 each. She noted that 75% of the beneficiaries are young females predominantly engaged in agriculture.
The First Lady also announced that 100 persons with disabilities involved in small-scale businesses would each receive N100,000 to enhance their enterprises.
Akwa Ibom State’s First Lady, Mrs. Patience Umo Eno, acknowledged the typical challenges faced by women in agriculture and expressed gratitude for the opportunities afforded by the program.
