Oluremi Tinubu unveils N12bn empowerment package for elderly, persons with disabilities

Wife of the Imo State Governor, Mrs Chioma Uzodimma, Wife of Vice President Hajia Nana Shettima, First Lady of Nigeria Senator Oluremi Tinubu, Wife of the Senate President, Mrs Ekaette and Wife of the Chief of Staff to the President, Mrs Salamatu Gbajabiamila, all members of the Board of Trustees of the Renewed Hope Initiative, RHI at the Stakeholders meeting between the First Lady, Renewed Hope Initiative and APC Senatorial Candidates at the State House Banquet Hall on Thursday, October 29, 2026.

First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu on Thursday unveiled a N110m empowerment package for elderly citizens and persons with disabilities in each participating senatorial district, amounting to N11.99bn.

She directed All Progressives Congress senatorial candidates to oversee its implementation and ensure the funds reach vulnerable Nigerians regardless of party affiliation.

The announcement was made at a stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja on Thursday that brought together the APC National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda; Senate President Godswill Akpabio; APC senators; members of the Renewed Hope Initiative Governing Board; and APC senatorial candidates.

Senior Special Assistant on Media to the First Lady, Busola Kukoyi, revealed this in a statement she signed Thursday titled ‘First Lady Oluremi Tinubu unveils N110m empowerment package for elderly, Persons With Disabilities.’

According to the statement, “The initiative comprises two programs, each with a N55m allocation, targeting 250 beneficiaries apiece.

“Under the RHI Economic Empowerment Program for Persons with Disabilities, 250 beneficiaries are expected to receive N200,000 each per senatorial district.

“The RHI Elderly Support Scheme will follow the same funding structure, with 250 elderly beneficiaries receiving N200,000 each per senatorial district.”

The First Lady said the decision to channel disbursement through senatorial candidates followed consultations with political leaders on how best to reach intended beneficiaries and improve coordination.

She said the candidates’ familiarity with their constituencies made them well placed to identify vulnerable people and facilitate distribution.

However, she said that party membership must not be a condition for access to the funds.

“We don’t say give it only to party members, but give it to your voters,” she told the candidates, stressing that deserving people across all senatorial districts must benefit from the intervention.

Tinubu said the RHI had previously supported persons with disabilities and was now expanding and renewing those efforts, while the intervention for elderly citizens was entering its fourth edition.

She said she had considered working through state coordinators and traditional rulers before settling on the senatorial district model following political consultations.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio commended the First Lady for convening serving and incoming senators to coordinate the intervention, saying President Bola Tinubu had given his approval to the arrangement.

He urged the candidates to treat the responsibility as a public trust and ensure the support reached its intended recipients, noting that the RHI had provided assistance to displaced communities, vulnerable households, and women across the country over the past three years.

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, described the engagement as historic and praised the First Lady’s commitment to vulnerable Nigerians, noting that the RHI’s monthly food outreach programme had already reached 31 states.

“On behalf of the House of Representatives, I want to say a big thank you to our mama for all the good things she is doing,” Abbas said.

He also wished the senatorial candidates success in the forthcoming elections, with polls scheduled for January 16, 2027.

APC National Chairman Yilwatda urged the candidates to involve party structures in implementing the programme while ensuring that beneficiaries were selected without discrimination on grounds of ethnicity, religion, or political affiliation, saying the initiative would strengthen social cohesion.

The RHI Financial Support Programme for Persons with Disabilities is scheduled for December 3, to coincide with the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, while the Elderly Support Scheme is set for December 17, 2026.