Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has intensified grassroots mobilisation for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid in Nasarawa State, as the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) Women Mobilisation Directorate engaged communities, visited vulnerable groups and supported women in Lafia.
The activities, which took place in Lafia, featured engagements with party leaders, visits to the Federal University Teaching Hospital and Women Modern Market, and an empowerment initiative targeting 1,000 women. The programme culminated in an APC rally where party officials called for stronger grassroots support ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The Co-Director of the APC PCC Women Mobilisation Directorate, Dr Betta Edu, led the delegation’s engagements on behalf of the First Lady. She urged women across Nasarawa State to strengthen the party’s mobilisation structures at ward, community and local government levels, emphasising their role in political participation and voter engagement.
Betta Edu Calls for Stronger Grassroots Mobilisation
Addressing supporters at the rally, Edu urged residents to remain committed to the APC and support President Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.
She described women as an important force in grassroots politics, noting that their participation in community mobilisation, voter education and political engagement could strengthen the party’s structures across the state.
Edu encouraged APC women to take the party’s message beyond political gatherings by engaging residents in markets, homes and rural communities. She also stressed the importance of communicating the administration’s policies and programmes to citizens, particularly those designed to improve livelihoods and expand economic opportunities.
According to her, the mobilisation effort should translate into stronger participation at the grassroots, with women playing active roles in encouraging eligible voters to participate in the electoral process.
The Nasarawa engagement forms part of the wider activities of the APC PCC Women Mobilisation Directorate, which is working to coordinate women-led political structures across the country ahead of the 2027 elections.
First Lady’s Directorate Empowers 1,000 Women
A major feature of the Lafia outreach was an empowerment initiative targeting 1,000 women, designed to support livelihoods, strengthen small businesses and promote economic inclusion.
Edu highlighted several interventions associated with the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), the First Lady’s social intervention platform, which has supported women and vulnerable groups through different programmes.
She disclosed that 500 vulnerable women in Nasarawa State had received household empowerment items, including deep freezers, gas cookers, ovens, grinding machines and generators. These items are intended to help beneficiaries establish or strengthen small businesses, improve household productivity and generate additional income.
In another intervention, 500 women traders across the state’s 13 local government areas received business grants of ₦50,000 each through a partnership with the Tony Elumelu Foundation.
The grants are intended to provide small-scale financial support for traders seeking to maintain their businesses, purchase inventory and improve their operations. For women who depend on informal trading and other micro-enterprises, access to modest capital can help address some of the difficulties associated with running daily businesses.
Edu also disclosed that more than 500 women had benefited from dry-season agricultural training, while 250 persons living with disabilities received ₦200,000 each to support their businesses and strengthen their economic independence.
These figures represent different intervention categories and should not be treated as a single group of beneficiaries. Nevertheless, they demonstrate the range of support programmes highlighted by the directorate during its Nasarawa engagement.
Hospital Visit Highlights Support for Vulnerable Nigerians
Beyond political mobilisation and economic empowerment, the delegation visited the Federal University Teaching Hospital, Lafia, where members interacted with patients, healthcare workers and other stakeholders on behalf of the First Lady.
The hospital visit provided an opportunity to engage with people receiving medical care and acknowledge the challenges faced by patients and their families.
The delegation’s outreach also highlighted the importance of compassionate support for vulnerable Nigerians, particularly those dealing with illness, financial difficulties and other personal challenges.
Healthcare remains a major concern for households across the country, as medical expenses can place considerable pressure on family incomes. Consequently, visits and support initiatives involving hospitals can help draw attention to the needs of patients while encouraging stronger engagement with healthcare institutions.
The directorate’s participation in the visit formed part of its broader humanitarian activities during the Lafia programme.
Market Engagement Focuses on Women Traders
The Women Modern Market in Lafia was another important stop during the outreach, as the delegation interacted with traders and market women about economic opportunities and the policies of the Tinubu administration.
Women play a significant role in Nigeria’s informal economy, particularly in retail trade, food distribution, agriculture and small-scale manufacturing. However, many continue to face challenges involving access to affordable finance, rising operating costs, inadequate infrastructure and limited business support.
During the market engagement, the delegation discussed women’s participation in economic development and highlighted empowerment initiatives intended to improve their livelihoods.
The visit also provided an opportunity to engage directly with traders, listen to their concerns and encourage their involvement in community and political activities.
By combining market outreach with financial and household support initiatives, the directorate sought to connect its mobilisation activities with issues affecting women in their everyday lives.
Renewed Hope Initiative and Women’s Economic Inclusion
Edu commended the First Lady for interventions implemented through the Renewed Hope Initiative, describing the programmes as efforts to improve the welfare of women and vulnerable groups.
The initiative has focused on areas including economic empowerment, healthcare, education, financial inclusion and social protection. Its activities have included business support, agricultural training and assistance for people living with disabilities.
For beneficiaries, the impact of these programmes will depend on whether the support translates into sustainable income, stronger business operations and improved household welfare.
The distribution of business equipment, for instance, can provide an important starting point for women who want to expand their enterprises. However, continued access to markets, electricity, affordable inputs, financial services and business development support will also determine how effectively beneficiaries use the resources provided.
Similarly, cash grants can help traders meet immediate business needs, although long-term growth requires an environment in which small businesses can operate and expand sustainably.
APC Strengthens Preparations for 2027
The Lafia outreach comes as political parties continue to strengthen their structures ahead of the 2027 general elections.
For the APC, women mobilisation represents an important component of its campaign strategy, particularly because women participate extensively in community organisations, market associations, religious groups and local economic networks.
Edu urged women in Nasarawa to sustain their involvement through unity, voter education and consistent engagement at the grassroots. She also called on them to communicate the administration’s programmes and encourage political participation across the state’s 13 local government areas.
The activities in Lafia therefore combined political mobilisation with humanitarian outreach and economic empowerment, placing women at the centre of the party’s efforts to consolidate its support base.
As the 2027 elections approach, the APC PCC Women Mobilisation Directorate is expected to continue its engagements across communities and states. The broader challenge, however, will be ensuring that the empowerment initiatives highlighted during political outreach translate into lasting improvements in women’s economic opportunities and the welfare of vulnerable households.
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