Niger State Governor, Abubakar Sani Bello has flagged off the first batch of individual grant disbursement to women in Gawu Babangida, Gurara local government area under the Nigeria for Women Project, a strategic World Bank programme in collaboration with the Federal government and Niger State to support women and improve their socio-economic status.
The event signified the commencement of funds disbursement in the piloting local government areas namely Gurara, Agaie and Wushishi representing the three Senatorial zones of the state.
Governor Sani Bello noted that the grant which is the second component of the project, was to serve as an incentive to improve the small businesses of the beneficiaries.
The Governor said his administration will continue to demonstrate commitment to payment of counterpart funds so as to attract more interventions to better the lives of the people especially the women as they are the bedrock of the families and the society.
“We applied a lot of efforts to ensure we came first in the programme in the entire country and that is why the programme is being flagged off here in Niger State.
“This is support to enhance their trade capabilities and I have no doubt in my mind that the women will use the funds for the purpose it is meant for. Women have become a good example when it comes to such interventions, he said.
He commended the State Project Coordinator Alhaji Sarki Bello and his team for making the State proud as well as thanked the Federal government, World Bank and other relevant stakeholders for the laudable initiative.
The Minister of Women Affairs Dame Pauline Tallen explained that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari secured support from the World Bank in a bid to help women overcome institutional and market failures limiting them from improving their socio-economic status and access to market.
She disclosed that the project has trained, empowered and connected women to enhance livelihood opportunities through the establishment of Women Affinity Groups which she said Niger state has done excellently well.
“The women have been trained on how to save and boost their businesses. They have proofed that they are capable of running the businesses and we are confident they will not fail us because we started by raising funds within themselves and they raised over 400 million naira before this individual grant”, she explained further.
Mrs Pauline Tallen disclosed that 232 women are to benefit from the first batch of the disbursement with each having N60,000, while 875 are expected to benefit in the second batch of the grant which she said will take off soon.
The Minister who commended the women for their commitment, assured that her Ministry in collaboration with its counterpart at the state level would continue to do everything possible to improve the life of women even as the Federal government is exploring ways to cover all the states of the Federation in the programme.
The National Coordinator Nigeria For Women Project, Mrs Ruth Mshelia stated that the programme target women drawn from six states across the six geopolitical zones of the country.
She announced that Niger state came first in the performing chart out of the six implementing states with over 52,000 women beneficiaries in the state out of the 239,526 women targeted in the country and were able to save more amon the implementing states.
Commissioner for Women Affairs, Hajiya Fatima Tasalla Ibrahim while describing the programme as a vehicle to empower and sustain livelihood for inclusive growth, attested to the determination of the women to overcome poverty.
In their separate goodwill messages, Member, Gurara Constituency, State House of Assembly Hajiya Binta Mamman who represented the Speaker of the State Assembly Abdullahi Bawa Wuse and the Technical Adviser, World Bank Mr Sunday Iyong who representative the Development Partner acknowledged the efforts of the State government which has placed the state top in the performance chart of the project.
The implementing states are; Niger State for North Central, Taraba for North East, Kebbi covers for North West, Abia for South East while Akwa Ibom for Ogun are for South South and South West respectively.
Niger state was adjudged to be top amongst others haven reached the highest number of Women Affinity Groups and saved more.
Highpoint of the event was the symbolic crediting of beneficiaries bank account where they instantly confirmed the receipt of credit alert in their mobile phones.
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