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Questions are being raised in Benue South Senatorial District following the decision by Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, to allocate a ₦100 million empowerment grant exclusively to women in Benue North-East (Zone A) and Benue North-West (Zone B), with no beneficiary communities announced from Benue South (Zone C).
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During her visit to Benue State on Tuesday, Mrs. Tinubu unveiled the ₦100 million grant for 2,000 petty traders under the Renewed Hope Initiative to support women-owned businesses and boost grassroots economic activities. ₦50 million was earmarked for 1,000 women in Vandeikya (Zone A), while another ₦50 million was allocated to 1,000 women in Makurdi and surrounding communities in Zone B.
The First Lady also inaugurated a Community Information and Technology Centre in Vandeikya and commissioned an 11.5-kilometre road project in Makurdi, with one of the roads named in her honour. No similar projects or empowerment programmes were announced for any part of Benue South, which comprises nine local government areas including Ado, Agatu, Apa, Ohimini, Okpokwu, Ogbadibo, Otukpo, Obi, and Oju.
Governor Hyacinth Alia, who accompanied the First Lady, described the ICT centre as a transformational facility that would promote entrepreneurship, e-marketing, and innovation among young people.
The absence of Benue South from both the cash grant and project commissioning has sparked discussions among residents of the district, many of whom argue that the zone deserved inclusion in programmes of such statewide significance.
