Some of the beneficiaries.
By Anietie Akpan
Renewed Hope Initiative (ASP-RHI), the pet project of Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu has empowered 350 persons in Akwa Ibom State.
The beneficiaries are 250 farmers and 100 pupils and students in 10 primary and secondary schools in the state.
A release from the Media Unit, Office of the First Lady, said out of the total beneficiaries, 200 women and youths who participated in the four-day intensive agricultural training on poultry farming, fishery, snail farming, piggery, sack farming and goat rearing, each received starter packs and cash, while 50 who own home farms received grants to boost their farms, under the “Every Home A Garden” Programme.
100 Members of the Young Farmers Club in select schools received farming utensils to enhance the cultivation of crops on their school farms.
Speaking at the empowerment programme on Saturday, July 12, 2025, held at Banquet Hall of Government House, Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State Coordinator of the RHI and First Lady Designate, Lady Helen Eno Obareki, said that the initiative is designed to encourage a shift from subsistence to commercial farmers.
Lady Obareki encouraged beneficiaries of the training programme, which was facilitated by the Office of the State First Lady in partnership with the Federal and State Ministries of Agriculture, to put to practice all that they were taught as there would be a monitoring team set up to ensure compliance.
“Under this initiative, farmers across Nigeria are receiving the tools, training and support they need to feed their families, communities and ultimately, feed a nation. They are also provided with financial grants, to transform them from subsistence farmers into agro-entrepreneurs, who are creating wealth, jobs and dignity.
“To the participants and beneficiaries of this initiative, I want to encourage you to take everything that the resource persons have taught you very seriously. Leverage on the topics they have been exposed to and grow your businesses to greatness. On our part, we would set up a monitoring team that will go round to assess what you’re doing,” she noted.
A cross section of some of the beneficiaries.
She praised the President’s Wife and National Chairman of the RHI, Senator Tinubu for believing and investing in farmers throughout Nigeria, noting that the programme aligns with the Agricultural component of the ARISE Agenda of Governor Umo Eno which encourages the growing of food by farmers and individuals in rural communities, in Akwa Ibom State.
In a tone setting, the State facilitator of the ASP-RHI Programme, Mrs. Emem Orok, thanked the wife of the President for the agricultural intervention programme and also extended her appreciation to the First Lady Designate of Akwa Ibom State for her well-thought-out approach in ensuring that the training scheme was held successfully.
She said the 4-day training programme which covered 200 women and youths was carefully designed to empower them with hands-on agricultural skills and lifelines to boost their capacity.
Delivering a lecture on Value Chain Development, a representative of the Technology Incubation Centre, Mrs. Iniobong Elshaddai said value chain enhances income opportunities for farmers, ensure food security and sufficiency, provide employment opportunities and increases income, saying the Technology Incubation Centre has made provision for mentorship, training, packaging and branding for farmers.
Also speaking on Sustainable Agricultural Practices, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Dr Atim Okoko noted that organic farming, which emphasises working with natural systems and cycles rather than relying on synthetic inputs, is a major boost to promoting food security to cushion economic hardship.
Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Madam Paulina Ekpo from the RHI-ASP, Pastor Sunday Edet from ‘Every Home a Garden’ and Akamakan Aniekan, a member of the Young Farmers Club from Methodist Secondary school Ibiaku Ishiet, Uruan LGA in their respective words appreciated Senator Oluremi Tinubu and the First Lady Designate for the Agricultural Support Programme noting that the training exercise and starter packs have equipped them to do better in their farming practices.
Goodwill messages were received from the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare – Mrs. Inibehe Silas, the Commissioner for Agriculture – Dr. Offiong Offor, the Chairman of Nsit Ibom Local Government Council – Hon. Otobong Aaron and the wife of the Chairman, Uyo Local Government Council – Mrs Akaninyene Udo.
The high point of the empowerment programme was the symbolic presentations of cheques to some members of ‘Every Home a Garden’ and starter packs to members of the different clusters including, fish farming, fish processing, Snail farming, Piggery, goat farming, poultry, sack farming and presentation of farming tools to the Young Farmers Club, in ten public schools.
