First Lady, Senator Tinubu Unveils 50 CNG Buses, ₦1bn Empowerment Fund for 5,000 Edo Women

BENIN CITY — Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has inaugurated 50 compressed natural gas (CNG)-powered buses and unveiled a ₦1 billion empowerment fund for 5,000 women in Edo State as part of efforts to cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal and improve economic opportunities.

The initiatives are designed to ease transportation costs, support women-owned businesses and improve livelihoods, particularly among low-income households and small-scale entrepreneurs.

Speaking at the inauguration, the First Lady said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to addressing the impact of subsidy removal was reflected in interventions aimed at improving the welfare of Nigerians.

She described affordable transportation as essential to the daily lives of students, traders, workers and other commuters, noting that the CNG-powered buses would provide an alternative amid rising transport costs.

“Behind every bus is a human story. There is a student who needs to get to school. There is a trader who needs to get to the market. There is a civil servant going to work. That is why today’s event is a story of renewed hope,” she said.

Senator Tinubu also highlighted the employment opportunities available in the CNG value chain, urging the Edo State Government to invest in technical and vocational training for young people to prepare them for jobs as technicians, engineers, drivers, mechanics and fleet managers.

The ₦1 billion empowerment fund is expected to benefit 5,000 women, providing support intended to strengthen small businesses, improve household incomes and expand women’s participation in economic activities at the grassroots.

Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, and his Kogi State counterpart, Ahmed Usman Ododo, commended President Tinubu’s economic reforms and pledged continued support for programmes aimed at addressing the needs of their respective states.

Okpebholo said the introduction of the buses would help reduce transportation costs and ease the burden on commuters, reaffirming his administration’s support for the President and the All Progressives Congress (APC).

In a separate reaction, the Director of Women Mobilisation of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Dr Betta Edu, commended the President and the First Lady for the interventions aimed at cushioning the effects of subsidy removal and improving the welfare of women.

Edu described the CNG buses as a practical measure to reduce transportation costs and create employment opportunities for young Nigerians. She also welcomed the ₦1 billion empowerment fund, saying it could strengthen women-owned businesses, improve household incomes and expand economic opportunities within communities.

She reaffirmed the Directorate’s commitment to mobilising women across Nigeria’s 774 local government areas in support of the Renewed Hope Agenda.

During a visit to the palace of the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, the First Lady also highlighted key interventions of the Renewed Hope Initiative and commended the monarch for his contributions to Edo State and Nigeria.

The impact of the initiatives will depend on effective implementation, the accessibility and affordability of the new bus services, and the timely distribution of the empowerment funds to eligible beneficiaries.

The programmes form part of broader efforts by the Federal Government and the Renewed Hope Initiative to address economic pressures and expand opportunities for women, young people and other vulnerable groups.