Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, marked the 2025 International Day of Persons with Disabilities with the launch of a nationwide empowerment programme providing N200,000 each to 9,500 beneficiaries. The national flag-off took place at Mambilla Barracks in Abuja, where 250 physically challenged veterans from the military and police received the first round of support. She said the initiative was designed to promote inclusion and ensure that citizens with disabilities have opportunities to participate meaningfully in national development.

Senator Tinubu explained that the programme aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritizes inclusive growth and support for vulnerable groups. She noted that the Renewed Hope Initiative has already assisted more than 100,000 small business owners, traders and persons with disabilities through various interventions in economic empowerment, health, agriculture and education since 2023. She announced that the empowerment for persons with disabilities will now be held annually on December 3 to coincide with World Disability Day.

A representative of the Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, commended the First Lady’s intervention, describing it as a clear demonstration of commitment to the welfare of persons with disabilities. He noted that the initiative reinforces ongoing social support programmes by the Renewed Hope Initiative across states and urged beneficiaries to use the funds as capital to build sustainable businesses that can improve their livelihoods.