PRESS RELEASE
ππΌπππ πΌππππππ πππππΏπΌ ππππππππ 500 πππππ ππππ π½πππππππ πππΌπππ ππ π½ππππ ππΌππππ ππππππππππΏπ
~πͺπππππ π©ππππππππππππ ππ πππ ππππππππ πππππππ πππππ ππ ππππ πππππ ππππππππππ~
The Mayor of Port Harcourt City Local Government Area (PHALGA), Sir (Hon.) Allwell Ihunda, DSSRS, JP, on Monday, 15th December 2025, πππ¨ππͺπ§π¨ππ ππͺπ¨ππ£ππ¨π¨ ππ§ππ£π©π¨ π€π β¦100,000 ππππ π©π€ 500 π¬π€π’ππ£ ππ§ππ¬π£ ππ§π€π’ π©ππ 20 π¬ππ§ππ¨ π€π π©ππ ππ€πππ‘ ππ€π«ππ§π£π’ππ£π© πΌπ§ππ. The initiative, aimed at strengthening π¨π’ππ‘π‘ ππ£π π’ππππͺπ’-π¨πππ‘π ππ£π©ππ§π₯π§ππ¨ππ¨ (ππππ¨), marks the first phase of the administrationβs empowerment programme and forms part of activities commemorating the Mayorβs 100 days in office.
Speaking at the empowerment and disbursement ceremony, the Mayor described the initiative as a fulfilment of his campaign promise and a deliberate effort to strengthen women-owned businesses and improve household livelihoods.
βThe essence of this gathering is to support your business. We want to empower you so that we can empower your business and empower your family as well,β the Mayor stated.
Sir Allwell Ihunda recalled that in the previous year, his administration successfully implemented skills acquisition and entrepreneurship programmes that trained over 1,300 beneficiaries, with women forming the majority. According to him, beneficiaries were trained in catering and bakery, tailoring, gele-tying, makeup artistry, cosmetology, photography, soap and air-freshener production, among others.
βπΆππ π ππ, π πππππ ππππππ ππππ ππ ππππππ ππππ ππππ ππππ πππ πππ π πππππππ. πΊππ ππππ ππ ππππ πππππππ πππ ππππππππ πππππππππ, πππ πππ πππ ππππ ππ πππππππ πππ ππππππ πππ ππππππ πππ πππππ πππβπ ππππππ ππππ. π° πππ πππππ , πππππ, πππ πππππππππ ,β ππ ππππ .
The Mayor emphasized that the current financial grant was designed to help women scale existing businesses and urged beneficiaries to invest the funds prudently.
He further announced that the programme is the first phase of a broader empowerment drive that will extend to youths and men in subsequent phases, while assuring those who did not benefit in this batch that more phases will follow.
“π΅ππππππ ππ πππ πππππ ππ πππππ ππ πππππππ π ππππππππ. πΎπππ πππππππ ππ πππ πππ ππππππ πππ πππππ πππ πππ πππ ππππππ ππππ ππππππππ, πΎπ πππππππππ ππππππππ πππππππππππππ ππππ πππ 20 ππππ π. π»ππππ πππ π ππ πππ πππππππ ππππ ππππ ππππππ πππ πππππ, πππ ππππ πππππ ππ ππππππ ππππ ππππ,β ππ πππππππ .
Sir Ihunda further highlighted the rationale for prioritising women in his empowerment scheme, noting that women are the primary caregivers of families; therefore, when women are empowered, families are strengthened and the nation as a whole is empowered, and as part of additional support, each beneficiary also received a 10kg bag of rice.
Beyond empowerment, Sir Allwell Ihunda also used the occasion to outline key achievements of his administration within 100 days, including the ongoing renovation of Township Model Primary School and Iche Akarolo Model Primary School, both previously vandalised by criminals, as well as desilting of drainages across flood-prone areas to mitigate flooding ahead of the rainy season. He also disclosed progress in furnishing the newly built council office complex.
In his goodwill message, the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP in Port Harcourt City Local Government Area Engr. Solomon Ejike Ogbonna The Party Chairman commended the Mayor for initiating an unprecedented women empowerment programme in Port Harcourt City, describing it as a clear demonstration of purposeful and compassionate leadership. He affirmed that the programme reflects the principle that when righteous leaders govern, the people rejoice, and assured beneficiaries that this first phase would soon be concluded, with subsequent phases to follow.
Also in her goodwill message, Hon. Inime Aguma, former Commissioner for Women Affairs, commended the Mayor for prioritising women empowerment and urged him to expand the initiative.
Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Mrs Linda Amadi-Oparaeli expressed gratitude to the Mayor for the financial support and the business management lecture delivered by the resource person Mrs. Amara Dike, assuring that the funds would be judiciously utilised to grow their businesses.
The event also attracted goodwill messages from political leaders and stakeholders across Port Harcourt City Local Government Area.
Signed:
Boyle Gift Ike
Chief Press Secretary, Port Harcourt City Local Government.
16th December, 2025
