POLITICAL POLITICS

Presidency Justifies First Lady's Women Empowerment Initiatives

by admin on | 2026-07-05 17:46:46

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Presidency Justifies First Lady's Women Empowerment Initiatives

By Ahmad Sirajo Makama, Abuja

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Special Duties,  Tunde Rahman, has justified the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) Women Empowerment Programme of Nigeria's First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, describing it as a practical economic inclusion strategy aimed at empowering grassroots women entrepreneurs and expanding opportunities within the informal sector.

In a commentary titled "In Defence of Akara and Kulikuli: Why Empowering Women at the Grassroots is Real Economic Policy," Rahman said criticisms of the First Lady's references to akara(popular fried bean cake)  kulikuli (a traditional fried groundnut snack) and other petty businesses overlooked the objective of the initiative, arguing that such enterprises are viable micro, small and medium-scale businesses (MSMEs) that sustain millions of households across Nigeria.

According to the Presidential aide, the programme is designed to formalise, finance and expand businesses operated by women through grants, improved processing equipment, hygiene and packaging training, product certification support and enhanced market access.

Rahman recalled that the First Lady had explained to State House Correspondents after the second-quarter meeting of the Renewed Hope Initiative with wives of state governors that the financial support provided under the programme was a grant and not a loan, intended to help women recapitalise and grow their businesses.

He also cited Mrs Tinubu's remarks during her recent visit to Jigawa State, where she dismissed criticisms of the initiative and reaffirmed her commitment to supporting women at the grassroots.

"I said akara; it's not only akara. We also have tomato, boli, pepper and vegetable sellers in the market. We will continue to empower them. We are not intimidated by all those wrong reports," the First Lady said.

During her visit to Jigawa State, Senator Tinubu presented grants of ₦50,000 each to 2,000 petty traders to recapitalise their businesses.

Rahman maintained that the initiative transcends financial support but includes providing beneficiaries with modern processing equipment, hygiene and packaging training, assistance with product certification and market linkages aimed at transforming small-scale enterprises into sustainable businesses.

To illustrate the programme's impact, Tunde Rahman cited the experiences of beneficiaries, including an akara seller in Abuja whose daily earnings reportedly rose significantly after receiving improved frying equipment and packaging materials, and a kulikuli producer who expanded distribution to supermarkets after receiving training and processing equipment through the initiative.

He disclosed that pilot phases of the programme had recorded 40 to 60 per cent increases in participants' incomes within three months, attributing the improvement to better equipment, branding, hygiene standards and expanded market opportunities.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President further stated that empowering women at the grassroots is central to inclusive economic growth, saying the initiative seeks to restore dignity to informal businesses while improving productivity and household incomes.

"The goal is simple: move from the roadside to registered sellers; from subsistence to scale," he stated.

He further noted that the Renewed Hope Initiative extends beyond support for petty traders, with interventions spanning healthcare, agriculture, education, ICT training, STEM scholarships, support for female artisans, persons with disabilities and other social investment programmes, including tuberculosis and breast cancer interventions as well as efforts to combat malnutrition.

The presidential aide dismissed suggestions that the programme was politically motivated, saying beneficiaries are selected through market associations, women's groups and non-governmental organisations rather than political affiliation.

 He maintained that the initiative should be assessed by its impact on livelihoods, arguing that empowering women at the grassroots remains a vital component of national development and inclusive economic growth.