Gov. Umaru Bago of Niger State has committed about N2 billion to scale up the Nigeria for Women Project (NFWP) and boost women’s livelihood in the state.
Mr Eyoung Sunday-Eyoung, State Technical Adviser, World Bank Project, disclosed this during the introduction of the scale-up phase of the project on Thursday in Chanchaga Local Government Area.
Sunday-Eyoung said that the project commenced implementation in Niger in 2021 in three pilot local government areas of Gurara, Wushishi and Agaie, where about 75,000 women were reached.
He explained that many of the beneficiaries were empowered with livelihood grants and supported to establish and grow their businesses.
According to him, some of the women who previously had no businesses were trained on how to start one and have become employers of labour through their various enterprises.
Sunday-Eyoung said that when Bago assumed office, he visited Gurara to assess the project firsthand, and observed how the women organised themselves to save, borrow and repay loans, while expanding their businesses.
He said that the governor, thereafter, committed to funding the project alongside the World Bank and directed that it be extended to all the local government areas of the state.
“The governor has already committed over N2 billion and has assured that he will do more as implementation continues,” the technical adviser said.
He said that the team was in Chanchaga to introduce the project, mobilise women and improve their livelihoods, to enable them to contribute meaningfully to their households and communities.
Sunday-Eyoung said that the project also facilitated access to bank accounts for women, toward promoting financial inclusion across the benefiting communities.
“In Chanchaga alone, we are looking to mobilise over 40,000 women who will be supported to establish businesses and become self-reliant.
“Our target is to replicate this in each local government area, producing not less than 40,000 empowered women per council,” he said.
Also speaking, Mr Mohammed Sarki-Bello, the State Coordinator of NFWP, said that 75,575 women benefitted from the pilot phase in Agaie, Gurara and Wushishi.
Sarki-Bellob said that the scale-up phase would commence in Chanchaga, which had about 169,000 women between the ages of 18 and 60.
In his remarks, the Chairman of Chanchaga Local Government Area, Dr Mustapha Jibrin, lauded the governor’s developmental strides.
Jibrin described the project as a great development, hence, pledging the council’s support.
“We will provide all the necessary collaboration to ensure the success of the project, just like the governor is passionate about women well-being,” he said.
Jibrin, however, appealed to the World Bank to consider introducing a similar intervention targeted at youths to help reduce unemployment and insecurity.
He assured that the council would remain focused on supporting women under the Bago-led administration, for the project to achieve its set objectives.
Also, Hajiya Hadizat Kuta, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, described the initiative as a significant boost for women empowerment.
Kuta said that empowering women was key to national development and expressed optimism that women across the state would be effectively mobilised, and registered in clusters under the project.
