First Lady Empowers 1,000 FCT Traders, Unveils New Secondary School Project

Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, has empowered more than 1,000 petty traders and vulnerable residents in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), providing cash grants and livelihood support tools while announcing the construction of a new secondary school for the Karon Majigi community in Abuja.

The empowerment programme, organised under the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), benefited traders from Karon Majigi and residents of the Physically Challenged Colony in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC). The First Lady was represented at the event by Nana Shettima.

As part of the intervention, beneficiaries received N50,000 each to support and expand their businesses. The programme also distributed various income-generating equipment, including sewing machines, grinding machines, water pumping machines, hair dryers, power chillers and tricycles aimed at boosting small-scale enterprises and self-reliance.

A major highlight of the event was the announcement that a new secondary school, being facilitated through a partnership between the Renewed Hope Initiative and the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), is currently under construction and will soon be completed. The project is expected to improve access to education and address long-standing infrastructure needs in the community.

Speaking at the event, FCT Minister of State, Mariya Mahmoud, described the programme as a practical demonstration of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, noting that it prioritises economic inclusion, social welfare and empowerment for vulnerable groups.

She stressed that empowering persons living with disabilities and low-income entrepreneurs was not merely an act of charity but an investment in human capital and sustainable development.

Community leaders welcomed the intervention and praised the First Lady’s commitment to improving livelihoods. They, however, appealed for additional support in critical areas such as road infrastructure, potable water supply, teacher recruitment and the completion of other stalled community projects.

The empowerment initiative forms part of the First Lady’s broader nationwide efforts to strengthen economic opportunities for women, youth, persons with disabilities and small-scale entrepreneurs through targeted grants, skills acquisition programmes and community development projects.