Tinubu’s wife rolls out N1.9bn grants to 9,500 PWDs

File Copy: First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu.

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Wife of the president, Mrs Oluremi Tinubu, on Wednesday, gave a total of N1.9bn as business grants to Persons Living with Disabilities, on the occasion of the 2025 International Day of PWDs.

A total of 9,500 people living with disabilities across the 36 states, the Federal Capital Territory and the Defence and Police Officers’ Wives Association will benefit from the programme under Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Initiative.

International Day of PWDs is a global event dedicated to promoting the rights, dignity and inclusion of PWDs.

Across states, Tinubu, who was represented by wives of governors or commissioners of women affairs, handed over N200,000 cheques each in grants to hundreds of PWDs.

Each state, the FCT and the Defence and Police Officers’ Wives Association would receive N50m for distribution to the intended beneficiaries.

In Lafia, the Nasarawa State governor’s wife, Silifat Abdullahi-Sule, distributed N200,000 each to 250 persons living with disabilities.

Abdullahi-Sule urged the beneficiaries to use the money to boost their businesses.

“Let it be a seed that grows into something greater; a business that sustains you and your family,” Abdullahi-Sule said.

Speaking, the Executive Secretary of the Nasarawa State Rights Disability Commission, Saleh Barde, thanked Tinubu for considering people with disabilities in the state to be empowered, and for supporting them with grants to improve their business and livelihood.

In Ekiti, Mrs Tinubu, who was represented by Mrs Olayemi Oyebanji, highlighted the importance of inclusion and equal opportunity.

She said the initiative to empower 250 PWDs in each state was part of a broader national vision to ensure that no one is left behind in the social and economic development of the country.

“It is worth noting that, over the past two years, the RHI has supported over 100,000 women petty traders and small business owners, including persons with disabilities, with direct financial grants to grow their businesses.

“Today, the RHI will provide the sum of N200,000 Business Recapitalisation Grants to 250 PWDs in each state and the FCT to support small business owners to recapitalise their existing businesses and strengthen their means of livelihood,” Oyebanji said.

The event was attended by Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Mrs Monisade Afuye; Secretary to Ekiti State Government, Prof Habibat Adubiaro; Head of Service, Dr Folakemi Olomojobi; Commissioner for Education, Dr Bimpe Aderiye; and Special Adviser, Special Education and Social Inclusion, Adetoun Agboola.

At the Ogun State event, Mrs Tinubu, represented by the governor’s wife, Mrs Bamidele Abiodun, at the June 12 Cultural Centre, Kuto, Abeokuta, emphasised that the nation grows stronger when every individual, irrespective of status, is empowered to contribute meaningfully.

She stated that RHI Social Investment Programmes had provided financial and material support to victims of floods, communal clashes, and disasters, as well as to the elderly, widows, and orphans of our fallen heroes.

Mrs Tinubu explained that through the RHI Monthly Food Outreach Scheme, food items had so far been delivered to 22 states and the FCT, as well as to IDPs and other vulnerable communities.

She urged all beneficiaries to make good use of the opportunity to grow the business into something greater to sustain them and their family.

The Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Adijat Adeleye, hailed Mrs Tinubu for her thoughtfulness at all times, saying that the support would make a lot of difference in the lives of the members of the disabled community.

APC leader raises concern

At an event to commemorate disability day, National Leader for Persons With Disabilities in the All Progressives Congress, Tolu Bankole, raised fresh concerns over worsening economic hardship faced by millions of PWDs.

He warned that the country risked deepening inequality if government and institutions failed to act decisively.

Speaking in Abuja, Bankole, who also serves on the party’s National Working Committee, said despite incremental progress in policy recognition, the reality for people with disabilities remained bleak due to poverty, unemployment and weak implementation of disability laws.

Bankole said, “Economic hardship, rising unemployment, and the high cost of assistive devices continue to deepen vulnerability.

“We cannot claim true progress when millions of our citizens are systematically left behind.

“As national leader, I remain steadfast in my personal commitment through sustained provision of grants, scholarships, medical support, mobility aids, and welfare packages to thousands of PWDs and their families across the country. However, much more needs to be done.”

He also urged the Federal Government to work with disability groups to develop a 10-year National Disability Inclusion Strategy (2026–2035) with measurable targets in accessibility, education, employment, political participation and technology.

While highlighting inspiring global figures who have broken barriers, including Stephen Hawking, deaf-blind advocate Haben Girma and amputee Olympian Natalie du Toit, Bankole said their achievements should remind Nigeria of what is possible when societies prioritise inclusive systems.

“Persons with disabilities have repeatedly proven that disability is not inability,” he said.

The concerns come amid new national statistics that underscore the scale of the challenge.

In December 2023, the Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, James Lalu, revealed that 35.1 million Nigerians were living with disabilities.

Lalu announced the updated figure months after President Bola Tinubu ratified the protocol to the African Union Charter on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, signalling Nigeria’s intent to align with continental standards on disability protection.

NSCDC vows protection for PWDs

The Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Federal Capital Territory Command, Olusola Odumosu, has stressed that disability inclusion remains vital to strengthening national security.

Odumosu made the remarks during an address at the command headquarters as part of activities marking the International Day for Persons with Disabilities.

Odumosu, in a statement signed by the command spokesperson, Monica Ojobi, on Wednesday, said disability inclusion contributed significantly to economic growth and national stability.

“By protecting vulnerable groups, it enhances economic growth, where all citizens can participate productively, promote social unity and reduce discrimination, as well as build trust in institutions where every citizen feels seen and protected,” he stated.

According to the statement, Odumosu stressed that inclusion must remain a core part of the national security strategy.

“With over 25 million persons with disabilities in Nigeria, we cannot talk about development or security while a significant segment of our population faces avoidable barriers,” Odumosu said.

The commandant highlighted steps the FCT command had taken to strengthen inclusive security and improve communication with citizens, including those with hearing impairments.

He disclosed that the command recently trained 250 personnel in sign language proficiency, describing the initiative as a major milestone.

The event also featured a road walk by NSCDC FCT personnel to commemorate the day.

The Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act 2018 was signed into law in Nigeria in December 2018, outlawing discrimination against persons with disabilities and requiring public buildings, transport systems, and other facilities to become accessible within a five-year transition period.

Nevertheless, recent audits and reports indicate that implementation has been weak.

A 2024 report found that 28 per cent of health facilities lack basic accessibility features for PWDs.

As a result, substantial numbers of Nigerians with disabilities still face exclusion from essential services, including healthcare, education and employment, despite formal legal protections.

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