As part of activities marking the 2025 World Disabilities Day, Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has empowered persons living with disabilities with special business grants aimed at boosting their economic activities and improving their livelihoods.
The initiative, which also featured the launch of the Renewed Hope Initiative Economic Empowerment Programme for Persons Living With Disabilities (PLWDs), was held on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, at the Banquet Hall of the Government House, Port Harcourt. Senator Tinubu was represented by the wife of the Rivers State Governor, Lady Valerie Fubara.
Announcing the empowerment package, Senator Tinubu said the Renewed Hope Initiative would provide N200,000 Business Recapitalisation Grants to 250 persons with disabilities in each state and the Federal Capital Territory, to support small-scale enterprises and strengthen economic inclusion.
She noted that the programme aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritizes inclusive growth and ensures no segment of the population is left behind.
Lady Fubara, delivering the First Lady’s message and her own remarks, explained that over the last two years, the initiative has supported more than 100,000 women petty traders, small business owners, and PLWDs through direct financial grants.
“Our commitment has been demonstrated through interventions in agriculture, economic empowerment, education, health, and social welfare—efforts aimed at improving the well-being of families across Nigeria,” she said.
She encouraged PLWDs to look beyond physical limitations, emphasizing that “disability is not a tragedy; discrimination is.” She also urged corporate organizations to support the economic upliftment of persons with disabilities. Lady Fubara expressed appreciation to the First Lady for her inclusive programmes and reaffirmed Rivers State Government’s commitment to partnering with the National Disabilities Commission.
In a presentation titled “Protecting PLWD Through Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s Health for All Rivers Initiative,” the Executive Secretary of the Rivers State Contributory Health Protection Programme (RIVCHPP), Dr. Vetty Agala, highlighted special healthcare provisions put in place for PLWDs. She stated that beneficiaries of the grants would be covered under the state’s free medical care scheme.
Dr. Agala also decorated Lady Valerie Fubara with the Universal Health Coverage Ambassador Award in recognition of her commitment to accessible healthcare in the state.
