No less than sixty-five thousand (65,000) rural women across three states of Abia, Kebbi and Taraba have been gifted livelihood grants of not more than N60,000 each through their women affinity groups (WAG) to boost rural economy and fight poverty at the grassroots, under Nigeria for women project.
Records made available to Tribune Online, by the respective authorities showed that Nigeria for Women Project (NFWP) targeted, rural women in her pilot programme, and was able to build the economies of 237,800 women and their families in the selected nine local governments in Abia, Kebbi and Taraba states.
The programme initially targeted 162,000 rural women in these states but swelled from its 54,000 targets, per state, to 72,803 for Abia; 79,941 for Kebbi and Taraba 85,056 states cumulatively shared livelihood grants of three billion, nine hundred and twenty-two million, seven hundred and thirty-three thousand, four hundred and fifty Naira (N3,922,733,450) by their state governments to boost rural entrepreneurship amongst the women.
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The federal government had in the 2022 Appropriation Act, captured the intervention programme in partnership with the World Bank as “ERGP1180321 MULTILATERAL/BILATERAL PROJECT-TIED LOANS – NIGERIA FOR WOMEN PROJECT” earmarked the sum of “N12,304,500,000” for the 2022 fiscal year.
Speaking to journalists in his office in Kebbi, state project coordinator, Alhaji Yakubu Yauri, pointed out that the target of 3,600 women affinity groups in the state, to comprise a maximum of 25 women not less than 18 years of age per group expanded to accommodate 79,941 members of WAG at the selected senatorial district in the state.
He said the activities of the women affinity groups in Kebbi have become a thing of admiration to non-members of the group in their respective LGAs of Argungu, Maiyama and Bali. Many of them are eager to join the next phase of the programme to improve the livelihood of their families, given the successes recorded by their sisters, neighbours and relations in their various communities of the 359 wards in Kebbi state.
Under the programme, the women were trained in financial education which comprised savings and credit; business skills and gender and life skills to prepare them for the challenges in their businesses.
Head of operations, Nigerian for Women Project Taraba state coordinating unit, Kunaku Auta, maintained that the women while implementing the financial prudence they have learnt, generated over N511m in their weekly savings as of July 2022. The fund, is exclusive of the state grant to their respective businesses, by the government.
He said about 30, 000 business plans had been developed in phases one and two of the project, out of which the state support to the programme has paid out N1.2billion to 19,551 rural women who applied for the livelihood grants.
The programme which has encouraged the infusion of these women into the formal financial sector in these states was also implemented in three local government areas of Obingwa, Isiala Ngwa North and Ohafia in Abia state.
Commissioner for women affairs in Taraba state, Hon. Bridget K. Tukur told reporters that the state government, under Governor Darius Ishaku has committed to advance its counterpart fund of N450m as part of its commitment to commence phase two.
She told reporters at her office that, the fund advancement was part of the World Bank condition to be met for any selected state to be qualified for phase two of the programme.
Her words: “The World Bank has given us a condition and we have met all of them. The governor has approved that we should source funds and pay for our counterpart funding. I will be in Abuja to submit our proof of condition met and our letter of interest to scale up.”
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