Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has provided cash support and gift items to 500 market women in Cross River State as part of efforts to strengthen small businesses and promote women’s participation in grassroots mobilisation ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The empowerment programme was held on Saturday at Watt Market in Calabar and organised through the Women Mobilisation Directorate of the APC Presidential Campaign Council.
The First Lady was represented at the event by the deputy director of the directorate and former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Dr Betta Edu.
Speaking during the distribution exercise, Edu said the programme was organised on the directive of Oluremi Tinubu, who is leading women’s mobilisation activities across the country.
She explained that the team was sent to Calabar to engage market women, artisans and petty traders and provide them with financial support to expand their businesses.
“We are not here on our own. We are here on the directive of the wife of Mr President and our First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, who is leading women’s mobilisation across the country.
“We are here to support you to grow and expand your businesses with ₦50,000 cash support and other gift items for 500 market women,” Edu said.
She added that the beneficiaries received different categories of empowerment items, including deep freezers, blenders and toasters, alongside cash assistance.
According to her, many of the traders operate with limited capital, with some having goods worth between ₦5,000 and ₦10,000 on their trays.
Edu said the financial support would help the beneficiaries increase their working capital and expand their businesses.
She also highlighted some of the Tinubu administration’s social intervention programmes, including the Students Loan Scheme, free maternal healthcare for pregnant women and subsidised dialysis services.
The former minister said the initiatives were aimed at supporting women and other vulnerable groups.
Edu disclosed that the Calabar exercise was the first phase of the empowerment programme in Cross River State.
She said similar exercises had been scheduled to take place in Ogoja in November or December, while another outreach was planned for the northern senatorial district in January 2027.
Market women and petty traders play a significant role in Nigeria’s informal economy, particularly in the retail and distribution of food, household goods and other essential commodities.
However, limited access to affordable finance remains a major challenge for many women entrepreneurs, who often rely on personal savings and informal loans to sustain their businesses.
