Governor Umar Namadi of Jigawa State has unveiled plans for a new women empowerment program in collaboration with the World Bank, titled the Nigeria for Women Project.
This initiative aims to assist thousands of women by providing them with productive assets and overcoming institutional and market barriers to enhance their livelihoods.
Speaking at the launch of the Gwari Women Economic Empowerment Programme, which targets 12,600 women across the state, Governor Namadi announced that each beneficiary will receive a cash grant of ₦50,000, totaling ₦630 million in economic support.
He reiterated the government’s dedication to scaling up ongoing women empowerment programs, including the revolving goat-breeding program, vocational skills and entrepreneurship development programs, and microcredit soft loans for women entrepreneurs.
“This is part of Jigawa State’s efforts to empower women and reduce poverty,” Governor Namadi stated.
He added “In line with most of the JCARES interventions, the objective of this initiative is to expand access to livelihood support, increase social transfers, and provide grants for poor and vulnerable households. While offering opportunities for women’s socioeconomic empowerment, this also helps to increase household consumption and improve the wellbeing of all family members.”
The Governor emphasized the administration’s commitment to social justice and its 12-Point Agenda, which prioritizes youth and women empowerment as well as social protection programs.
“As most of us are aware, one of the key policy thrusts and development priorities of our administration is the pursuit of targeted youth and women empowerment and social protection programs aimed at reducing vulnerabilities and extreme poverty among the population. This is in line with our commitment to continuously improve the socioeconomic wellbeing of the citizens of Jigawa State in line with our belief in the principles of social justice. Indeed, this is an integral part of our 12-Point Agenda.”
He stated the importance of focusing on women, who make up 51% of Jigawa State’s population, to ensure their socioeconomic empowerment and improve the wellbeing of their families and communities.
“Recent data on the population of Jigawa State indicated that almost 51% of the over 7.5 million people in the state are females, meaning there are more women than men in the state. Other statistics suggest that women are more prone to socioeconomic vulnerabilities and bear more of the brunt of poverty than men, especially considering that educational attainment is relatively lower among women. This makes it imperative for us to continuously pursue programs targeting the socioeconomic empowerment of women.”
Earlier in her remarks, the State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Community Development, Hadiza T. AbdulWahab, commended the state government for this bold initiative. She stated that the gesture will significantly impact the socioeconomic status of the women groups.
She urged the women to judiciously utilize the grant for the intended purpose, noting that the grant is specifically meant to sustain their livelihoods.
