About 500 market women in Calabar received cash grants on Thursday through the combined efforts of Senator Oluremi Tinubu, the Tony Elumelu Foundation, and the wife of the Cross River State Governor, Bishop Eyoanwan Bassey Otu.

The initiative, tagged “Women Economic Empowerment Programme,” aimed to support traders with seed capital to grow their businesses and improve their livelihoods.

Although Senator Tinubu and the Tony Elumelu Foundation were represented at the event, they sent warm felicitations to the beneficiaries, urging them to invest wisely and expand their businesses.

Speaking at the ceremony, Governor Otu’s wife said the beneficiaries were carefully selected to ensure the support reached those most in need.

“This empowerment is to make life more meaningful for our women,” she said. “The business grants are meant to boost capital and enhance sustainability.”

The programme drew excitement among beneficiaries, who described it as a timely intervention that will help them improve their trade and support their families.