By: Barikui Felix
The Federal Government, through the Nigerian Consumer Credit Corporation (CREDICORP), has launched an expanded phase of its Queen Rider Programme aimed at empowering 3,700 Nigerian women across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The initiative, in partnership with Gamma Mobility, targets at least 100 women per state and the FCT, enabling them to become tricycle owners and operators through access to credit-backed vehicle purchases.
The rollout, under CREDICORP’s SCALE program (Securing Consumer Access for Local Enterprises), is designed to connect consumers to Nigeria’s manufacturing sector by promoting the purchase of locally assembled tricycles from Simba TVS, a partner company that produces 1,170 tricycles and motorbikes daily in Nigeria.
The agency explained that by boosting demand for domestically assembled vehicles, the programme contributes to Nigeria’s industrial policy objectives, ensuring that every loan supports a local factory and sustains Nigerian families.
Speaking at the rollout event in Port Harcourt, CREDICORP’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Engr. Uzoma Nwagba, said the Queen Rider initiative is part of the corporation’s broader mission to provide half of Nigeria’s working population with consumer credit tools by 2030. These tools are designed to improve quality of life through vehicle ownership, clean energy adoption, and support for youth enterprises.
Nwagba attributed the initiative to President Bola Tinubu’s vision of empowering Nigerians through access to consumer credit. He emphasized that under the scheme, citizens do not need to wait until retirement to own homes or essential items that improve living standards.
“This initiative is President Bola Tinubu’s mandate. He is passionate about consumer credit and believes people should access goods and services today to improve their lives and pay over time. Civil servants, salary earners, entrepreneurs, and artisans should all be able to own homes, vehicles, or solar panels through accessible credit,” Nwagba said.
He urged beneficiaries to use the empowerment tool responsibly and repay loans consistently to ensure other women can benefit from the programme.
In addition to the Queen Rider initiative, Nwagba revealed that CREDICORP is supporting other schemes, including access to electronic devices such as smartphones and laptops, aimed at enhancing youth participation in the digital economy.
He called on Nigerians to embrace consumer credit as a path to productivity and financial inclusion, stressing that regular repayments would enable beneficiaries to access more credit opportunities.
Also speaking, Co-Founder of Gamma Mobility, Sam Esiri, described the programme as a transformative initiative designed to ignite dignity, purpose, and prosperity for thousands of Nigerian women.
Esiri emphasized that the Queen Rider Programme is not just a product launch, but a bold declaration that Nigerian women deserve full access to economic empowerment tools.
He praised the synergy among stakeholders and partners that made the programme possible and highlighted the broader vision of mobility serving as a catalyst for a brighter future.
According to Esiri, the programme enables women to own their vehicles, earn their income, build sustainable livelihoods, and secure their futures through economic independence.
