Former Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Dr Betta Edu, has taken the 2027 re-election message of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Cross River State Governor Bassey Otu to more than 5,000 market women and small business owners in Calabar, Cross River State.
The outreach also featured financial assistance of ₦50,000 each to 500 selected market women to support their petty trading activities and strengthen their businesses.
The empowerment initiative was organised on behalf of Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, as part of efforts to provide economic support to women engaged in small-scale businesses.
During the programme, Edu, who serves as Co-Director of the Women Mobilisation Directorate of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, engaged the participants on the political activities of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 general elections.
She encouraged the women to sustain grassroots engagement by reaching out to traders, neighbours and households within their respective communities.
“You must handhold every woman you have spoken to and ensure the vote for APC from top to bottom in the next election, please,” she told the participants.
The programme also featured entertainment and several gift presentations, including deep freezers, blenders, toasters, luxury dresses and additional financial prizes awarded through a dance competition.
The activities generated excitement among participants, who celebrated the empowerment initiative and expressed appreciation for the financial support.
One of the beneficiaries was quoted as expressing gratitude to President Tinubu and pledging support for the political leadership of the APC in Cross River State.
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For the beneficiaries, the ₦50,000 grant represents additional working capital that could help replenish stock, improve daily sales and sustain their household businesses.
The initiative highlighted the economic challenges confronting petty traders and the importance of targeted financial interventions in supporting women-owned micro-enterprises.