No fewer than 1,000 petty traders in Iwo Local Government Area of Osun State have received grants of N50,000 each under the Renewed Hope Initiative, a social intervention programme championed by the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu.
The N50 million empowerment programme, organised by the Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), targeted traders across the Osun West Senatorial District as part of efforts to support small-scale businesses and alleviate poverty.
The event also served as a platform for party leaders to reiterate their commitment to economic development and infrastructure ahead of the August 15 governorship election in the state.
The wife of the APC governorship candidate, Alhaja Sekinat Oyebamiji, received a warm reception on her arrival in Iwo before paying a courtesy visit to the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi, at his palace.
She later proceeded to the Iwo Town Hall, where the grants were presented to beneficiaries.
Representing the National Coordinator of the Renewed Hope Initiative, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, Sekinat Oyebamiji said the intervention underscores the initiative’s commitment to improving the livelihoods of vulnerable Nigerians through economic empowerment.
She noted that the programme was designed to strengthen small businesses, promote self-reliance and provide relief for traders facing economic hardship.
Speaking at the event, the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi, commended the Renewed Hope Initiative for extending support to grassroots traders.
The monarch also called for greater investment in Iwo and other communities in Osun West, stressing the need for improved infrastructure to unlock the area’s economic potential.
Beneficiaries of the scheme expressed gratitude for the financial support, describing it as timely.
Some of the recipients, including Omotola Olatunbosun and Marufat Abeni, said the grants would enable them to expand their businesses and cushion the impact of prevailing economic challenges.
The APC assured residents that the empowerment programme would continue, adding that more petty traders in Iwo and other local government areas of Osun West would benefit in subsequent phases.
The party also reaffirmed its commitment to the completion of the Osogbo-Iwo-Ibadan Road, describing the project as critical to the economic development of the district.
