No fewer than 250 elderly persons in Delta State have benefited from the Renewed Hope Initiative Elderly Support Scheme (RHIESS), receiving ₦200,000 each, alongside a 50kg bag of rice and free medical care provided by the Delta State Government through the Office of the Wife of the Governor.
The beneficiaries were supported during the third edition of the Renewed Hope Initiative Elderly Support Scheme, held on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, at the Banquet Hall, Government House, Asaba. The event was themed “Finding Joy in Old Age.”
The Wife of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, CON, was represented at the event by the Wife of the Governor of Delta State, Her Excellency Deaconess Tobore Oborevwori, while Mrs. Josephine Emu spoke on behalf of the Delta First Lady.
In a speech delivered at the event, Senator Oluremi Tinubu described the Renewed Hope Initiative Elderly Support Scheme as a vital social investment programme designed to ensure that elderly Nigerians live with dignity, joy, and a sense of belonging.
“This social investment programme embodies our ongoing effort to ensure that our elderly citizens live with dignity and joy, in a nation that genuinely cares for its own,” the First Lady said.
She explained that since the inception of the current administration in 2023, the Renewed Hope Initiative has made it a tradition to celebrate senior citizens every December in recognition of their immense contributions to nation-building.
According to her, the scheme supports 250 vulnerable elderly citizens aged 65 and above in each of the 36 states, the Federal Capital Territory, and veterans from the Defence and Police Officers’ Wives Association (DEPOWA)—amounting to 9,500 beneficiaries nationwide.
Each beneficiary receives ₦200,000, with a total of ₦1.9 billion approved for disbursement by the Governing Board of the Renewed Hope Initiative. She added that ₦50 million was allocated to each state, including the FCT and DEPOWA.
The First Lady emphasized that prioritising elderly citizens, especially during the festive season, is both a moral duty and a source of collective joy.
“They have walked difficult paths so that younger generations may have smoother roads to travel. It is our duty to ensure they live their twilight years in comfort, good health, and dignity,” she stated.
She also encouraged senior citizens to remain active, healthy, and engaged in community and charitable activities, stressing that ageing gracefully goes beyond longevity to include love, care, and respect.
Speaking through her representative, Mrs. Josephine Emu, the Wife of the Governor of Delta State, Deaconess Tobore Oborevwori, expressed deep appreciation to the First Lady of Nigeria for the compassionate intervention.
She reaffirmed the commitment of the Oborevwori administration to the welfare of senior citizens, noting that the Delta State Government has approved ₦50 billion to offset outstanding pension liabilities at both state and local government levels.
Mrs. Emu announced additional support for Delta beneficiaries through the Office of the Wife of the Governor and the You Matter Charity Foundation, including free medical care, free medications, and a 50kg bag of rice for each elderly person.
Several beneficiaries who spoke with journalists described the intervention as timely and impactful, thanking the First Lady of Nigeria, the Delta State Government, and the Office of the Wife of the Governor for remembering the elderly.
They offered prayers for continued peace, good governance, and development in Delta State and Nigeria at large.
