Niger First Lady Flags Off Tinubu’s wife Empowerment Programme for women in Zone B and C
By Our Reporter.
Hajiya Fatima Umar Bago, First Lady of Niger State, has flagged off the SDGs/RHI North-Central Women Empowerment Programme for Zones B and C in Niger State on behalf the President Wife, Mrs Oluremi Tinubu.
Speaking at the event held at the Justice Idris Legbo Kutigi International Conference Centre, Minna, Hajiya Bago described the day as “a special day for the hardworking women of Niger State.”
She noted that the programme was designed to give women the power to build a future of dignity and self-reliance, adding that women are the backbone of homes and communities.
“When you empower a woman, you empower a family. And when families are strong, society thrives,” she said.
Hajiya Bago thanked the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, for her commitment to women’s empowerment, noting that the programme would benefit 18,500 women across Nigeria.
She also appreciated the Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs for her dedication to improving the lives of women and girls across Nigeria.
The Niger State First Lady urged the women receiving the empowerment tools to make the most of them, use them to grow their businesses, support their families, and inspire other women around them.
Earlier in her remarks, Mrs Elizabeth Shaba, Commissioner for Small Medium Enterprises (SME) in Niger, cautioned beneficiaries against selling the items, urging them instead to utilise them to improve their economic conditions.
She appreciated the wife of the president and the wife of the governor for the gesture and their continuous support to women in the state.
Similarly, Mrs Mary Berje, Special Adviser to Niger Governor on Women Affairmative, advised the beneficiaries to consider themselves lucky to be among the beneficiaries of the items
She urged them to use the items to improve their economic conditions.
The Emir of Minna, Dr Umar Farouk, expressed gratitude to the wives of the president and Niger governor, advising the beneficiaries not to sell the items but make judicious use of them to better their lots.
Titi Auta, Commissioner for Women Affairs in Niger, represented by Hadiza Sheru, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, appealed to the beneficiaries not to sell the items but use them to start up businesses to support their families.
In their separate remarks, the beneficiaries, Amina Hassan and Hauwa Iliyasu, expressed their gratitude for the empowerment programme, promising to utilise the items wisely.
The programme, which was attended by women from Zones B and C, included the distribution of deep-chest freezers, maxi gas cookers with ovens, generators, and industrial grinding machines to strengthen their businesses and improve their livelihoods.
