As Oluremi Tinubu, Uzodimma Join Forces to Empower 2,500 Imo Women

The federal government and Imo State have deepened their partnership through a major women empowerment initiative, with 2,500 women and vulnerable persons receiving business-support equipment and cash grants to boost livelihoods, create sustainable enterprises and strengthen household incomes, writes Dike Onwuamaeze For years, the relationship between the federal government and states has often been viewed through the prism of politics, competing interests and the perennial struggle over who gets the credit for development. But occasionally, an event comes along in which political leadership gives way to partnership, institutions work together and the ultimate beneficiary is the ordinary citizen. That was the picture painted in Owerri, Imo State, this week, when Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, joined Governor Hope Uzodimma in an empowerment programme that brought together the federal government, the state government, women, vulnerable persons, traditional rulers and development-focused institutions. At the heart of the gathering was the message that government works best when its different layers cooperate to improve the lives of the people. The event, organised under the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) Women Economic Empowerment Programme in partnership with the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), provided empowerment items to women across the Southeast. In Imo State, however, the intervention was significantly expanded through additional support from the state government. The result was an empowerment package that saw 2,500 women and vulnerable persons in the state benefit from various forms of support designed to improve their livelihoods and strengthen their economic wellbeing. For Senator Oluremi Tinubu, the occasion was also an opportunity to acknowledge what she saw as the transformation taking place in Imo State under Governor Uzodimma. “I want to commend the Governor. I don’t flatter. He has brought the world to Imo. Imo is bubbling. The transformation I have met on ground, I am pleased,” she declared. The statement was significant not only because it came from the First Lady of the nation but also because it strengthens the bridge between the federal government and the Southeast through development, engagement and shared interests. Empowerment as a Bridge The decision to make women and vulnerable groups central to the programme was important. Across Nigeria, women play a crucial role in household economies, small businesses, food production, petty trading, services and community development. Yet many women who have the willingness and entrepreneurial ability to improve their circumstances lack the basic equipment or capital required to expand their businesses. The RHI’s intervention sought to address part of that gap by providing practical equipment capable of supporting new and existing businesses. Among the items distributed were freezers, gas cookers with ovens, generators and industrial grinding machines. These are not simply household possessions. In the right hands, they can become productive assets capable of generating income and supporting families. The Southeast leg of the programme selected 500 women across the region for the federal component. In Imo, Governor Uzodimma provided an additional 2,000 empowerment items, bringing the number of beneficiaries in the state to 2,500. It was this additional intervention that prompted Senator Tinubu to announce another layer of support. “Because of what the Governor has done, I have decided to add N100,000 to each of the beneficiaries,” she said. The gesture demonstrated how federal and state interventions can complement rather than duplicate one another. Rather than restricting the programme to the original number of beneficiaries, the state government expanded its reach, while the First Lady responded with additional financial support. The philosophy shows that when governments collaborate, the size of the impact increases. Uzodimma’s Development Proposition For Governor Uzodimma, the empowerment programme was part of a broader development philosophy centred on improving livelihoods and ensuring that vulnerable citizens are not excluded from economic opportunities. Describing the empowerment items as “startup gifts and economic lifelines” for poor and vulnerable women, the governor stressed that supporting women has consequences beyond the individual beneficiary. “When you empower a woman, you have empowered an entire household, improved livelihoods and strengthened small businesses,” Uzodimma said. That argument goes to the heart of why women-focused economic interventions have become an important part of development policy. A woman who receives equipment to establish or expand a small business potentially becomes better positioned to contribute to household income, support the education of her children, meet family needs and participate more actively in the local economy. In that sense, the intervention is not simply about distributing equipment. It is about creating opportunities for self-reliance. The governor also commended the RHI and the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs, Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, for what he described as a significant intervention aimed at reducing poverty and improving household livelihoods. He assured the organisers of the state government’s continued support for programmes designed to improve the economic wellbeing of women. That commitment provides another indication of the importance attached to the partnership between the federal and state governments. The governor said Imo had benefited from policies and programmes of President Bola Tinubu’s administration and expressed confidence that the people of the state would continue to support the President. Oluremi Tinubu’s Bridge-Building Role Beyond the empowerment component, Senator Oluremi Tinubu’s visit carried a symbolic significance. The Southeast has historically occupied an important place in Nigeria’s political and economic conversation. Against that background, every opportunity for constructive engagement between national leadership and communities in the region carries significance. Rather than making the visit solely about political differences, the First Lady used the platform to speak about empowerment, development, peace and cooperation. She also conveyed President Bola Tinubu’s appreciation to traditional rulers and people of the region for their support for his administration, particularly during the difficult period surrounding the removal of fuel subsidy. Her appeal for continued support was accompanied by a prayer for lasting peace and development in the Southeast. That combination of engagement and development is important. Political relationships are strengthened not only through speeches and promises but also through sustained interaction and programmes that touch people’s lives. One of the most striking moments of the visit came at the Eze Imo Palace, Owerri, where the First Lady was honoured by the traditional rulers of Imo State with the chieftaincy title “Oso Di Eme,” literally translated as “a supportive wife.” The conferment brought together prominent traditional rulers from across the country, including the Ooni of Ife, HRM Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II; the Obi of Onitsha, HRM Igwe Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe (Agbogidi); the Dein of Agbor Kingdom, Keagborekuzi I, HRM Benjamin Ikenchukwu; Igwe Obosi, HRM Dr. Chidubem Iweka; and HRM Eze Dr. Cletus Ilomuanya, among others. The honour was more than a ceremonial conclusion to the visit. It reinforced the role traditional institutions can play in fostering dialogue, cultural understanding and social cohesion. For Senator Tinubu, the recognition was a humbling experience. She attributed her strength to serve to the grace of God and expressed appreciation to the traditional rulers and people of the Southeast for the honour. The presence of traditional rulers from different parts of the country also gave the occasion a national character, reflecting the potential of traditional institutions to serve as bridges between communities and the broader national leadership Chioma Uzodimma’s Complementary Role The role played by the First Lady of Imo State, Barrister Chioma Uzodimma, also deserves attention. As the RHI State Coordinator, she occupies a position that can facilitate the implementation of women-focused programmes at the state level. She applauded the RHI and the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs for their sustained support for women and vulnerable groups. More importantly, she explained that the 2,500 empowerment items would be distributed across the three senatorial zones of Imo State — Okigwe, Orlu and Owerri. The distribution model gives the intervention a statewide reach and demonstrates an attempt to ensure that the benefits are not concentrated in one part of the state. Her appeal to beneficiaries to use the items judiciously was equally significant. The ultimate success of empowerment programmes cannot be measured solely by the number of items distributed. It must also be assessed by whether those items translate into sustainable businesses, increased incomes and improved household welfare. A New Conversation About the Southeast Perhaps the most important takeaway from the visit is the opportunity it presents for a new conversation about the relationship between the Southeast and the Federal Government. That conversation cannot be reduced to politics. It must include investment, infrastructure, employment, entrepreneurship, tourism, education, skills development, women empowerment, youth opportunities and peace. The First Lady’s assessment that Governor Uzodimma had “brought the world to Imo” was, in this context, an acknowledgement of the state’s effort to position itself for greater visibility and investment. For Imo, greater federal engagement can potentially support its development ambitions. For the Federal Government, deeper engagement with the state and the wider Southeast can strengthen confidence in its programmes and create more opportunities for national integration. The empowerment programme therefore became a practical meeting point between these two objectives. The significance of the Owerri gathering ultimately extends beyond the empowerment items presented to beneficiaries. It represents an approach to governance in which institutions can find common ground around the needs of citizens. Senator Oluremi Tinubu’s commendation of Governor Uzodimma, the governor’s appreciation of the federal government, the involvement of the Imo State First Lady, the work of the RHI and the Office of the SSAP on SDGs, and the participation of traditional rulers all combined to produce an image of cooperation. For a country as diverse as Nigeria, bridge-building is not a luxury. It is an essential component of national development. And for a region as economically and politically significant as the Southeast, sustained engagement with the federal government can open new possibilities for investment, infrastructure, entrepreneurship and social development.