News Rendezvous

By News Rendezvous TV

For decades, the phrase “dividends of democracy” has echoed across Nigeria with little to show for it in the lives of ordinary citizens. Policies have come and gone, promises have risen and fallen, yet for many Nigerians, especially those at the grassroots, genuine governance has remained distant almost mythical. That long-broken bridge of trust between citizens and government is what the Renewed Hope Empowerment Association says it has now set out to rebuild, beginning with a sweeping empowerment drive targeting over one million women and youths in Adamawa State.

At its inaugural meeting on 23rd November 2025, the Adamawa State chapter of the association gathered to chart a course for translating President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope vision from mere political rhetoric into practical, life-changing realities.

A Federal Government-Backed Push for Real Empowerment

According to the Adamawa State Chairman, Comrade Geoffrey Naphtali, the association is a creation of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, designed as a direct vehicle for delivering the core promises of the Renewed Hope agenda.Naphtali explained that the association’s mandate is “heavy, loaded, and transformative,” intentionally structured to touch the lives of ordinary Nigerians across all 36 states and the FCT.

He said the initiative aims to finally close the disconnect between policymakers and the people a disconnect he described as the root of Nigeria’s decades-long governance failures.“For too long, Nigerians have yearned for true governance. Government policies hardly impact the man on the street. This association was created to ensure that Nigerians feel the impact of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope,” Comrade Geoffrey Naphtali said.

Targeting Over 300,000 Direct Beneficiaries Per State

The Renewed Hope Empowerment Association plans to reach over 300,000 direct beneficiaries in each state, with trickle-down benefits potentially impacting more than one million individuals in Adamawa alone.

This unprecedented scale, Naphtali said, is deliberate designed to create a wide-ranging ripple effect across households, local businesses, and communities.

Correcting the Failures of the Subsidy Removal Impact

One of the most striking points raised at the meeting was the frustration that many Nigerians are yet to feel any positive impact from the removal of fuel subsidy one of the most consequential economic decisions of the Tinubu administration.Instead, Naphtali noted, political actors and privileged groups have so far been the biggest beneficiaries of the policy shift.

The Renewed Hope Empowerment Association, he stressed, aims to correct this imbalance by ensuring that the real benefits of the policy reforms flow to ordinary citizens not just the politically connected.

Beyond Rhetoric: Empowerment that Touches Real Lives

The association outlines a broad empowerment agenda that cuts across:Agriculture, Economic empowerment and grants, Skills acquisition, Youth and women-led business support, Education and scholarship opportunities, Basic needs: housing, food, clothing, social welfare, Sports development, which Naphtali identified as a particularly strategic area for Adamawa.These are not new concepts, but what makes this initiative different is the structure: local government and ward-level committees have been activated to ensure grassroots reach and accountability.

Rebuilding the Most Fragile Commodity: Trust

Across Nigeria, trust in government has been steadily eroding. Corruption, failed policies, insecurity, and decades of unmet promises have created a deep psychosocial gap between the state and its citizens. Many Nigerians today feel unseen, unheard, and unprotected.

But the Renewed Hope Empowerment Association believes that restoring that trust begins with tangible action.Through targeted support to the vulnerable women, youths, small business owners, and households struggling with the harsh economic realities the association hopes to show that governance can still be meaningful, compassionate, and transformative.

“This will be the beginning of concrete and realistic governance that Nigerians have ever seen,” Comrade Geoffrey Naphtali stresses.

A New Model for People-Centered Governance?

If successfully executed, the Adamawa chapter’s initiative could become a national model for reconnecting government with grassroots communities.For too long, empowerment programmes have been clouded by politics, nepotism, and tokenism. The Renewed Hope Empowerment Association is positioning itself to break that cycle, using structured community engagement, transparent processes, and direct interventions to families and individuals.

A Glimpse of Renewed Hope in Practice

As the newly inaugurated state executive committee begins to set up structures across local governments and wards, expectations are rising. Many households battered by rising costs, unemployment, and dwindling income see the initiative as a potential turning point.Whether the association succeeds will ultimately depend on execution, integrity, and political will. But one thing is clear: For the first time in a long while, many in Adamawa are daring to feel something rare, hope.If the Renewed Hope Empowerment Association fulfils even a fraction of its promise, it may not only uplift thousands it may repair the most damaged part of Nigeria’s democracy: the trust between the governed and those who govern them.