The Renewed Hope Initiative, in partnership with the Rivers State Government, on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, empowered 500 elderly citizens in Rivers State with ₦200,000 each under the Renewed Hope Initiative Elderly Support Scheme (RHIESS).
The empowerment programme formed part of activities marking the third edition of RHIESS, a social investment policy of the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu. The event, held at the Banquet Hall of Government House, Port Harcourt, was themed “Finding Joy in Old Age.”
Speaking at the event, Senator Tinubu, represented by the wife of the Rivers State Governor and State Coordinator of the Renewed Hope Initiative, Lady Valerie Fubara, described the scheme—initiated in 2023—as a gesture of gratitude to senior citizens for their invaluable contributions to national development.
She explained that the programme is designed to support 250 vulnerable elderly persons aged 65 and above in each of the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, as well as veterans from the Defence and Police Officers’ Wives Association (DEPOWA), bringing the total number of beneficiaries nationwide to 9,500.
The First Lady urged beneficiaries to remain active and healthy, encouraging them to engage in activities that promote physical, mental, and emotional well-being in old age.
In her remarks, Lady Fubara announced that the Rivers State Government, under the leadership of Governor Sir Siminalayi Fubara, doubled the state’s beneficiaries from 250 to 500. She reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to strengthening social welfare policies and improving the quality of life of elderly citizens in the state.
Also speaking, the Executive Secretary of the Rivers State Contributory Health Protection Programme (RIVCHPP), Dr. Vetty Agala, disclosed that the state government, through the Health4AllRivers Initiative aligned with the Renewed Hope Initiative, has introduced free medical care for senior citizens across Rivers State.
