Vice President Kashim Shettima has called for a more conducive business environment for Nigerian women, saying the country owes them an economy that is worthy of their labour. He made the call in Katsina while flagging off the disbursement of the Community Investment Fund (CIF) under the Nigeria for Women Programme Scale-Up (NFWP-SU) Project. The programme aims to address the challenge of inadequate capital faced by women entrepreneurs and strengthen their capacity to grow businesses and improve household incomes.
More than 40,000 women in Katsina State are eligible to receive business capital after meeting the prescribed conditions and demonstrating satisfactory performance in savings and group activities. Shettima said the intervention was designed to combine access to capital with training, financial literacy and productive resources through Women Affinity Groups. He urged beneficiaries to maintain proper records, make prudent purchasing decisions and preserve the trust within their groups.
Shettima emphasized that the economic reforms of President Bola Tinubu's administration must translate into stronger businesses, increased purchasing power and improved living standards for Nigerians. He explained that national policy must be connected to the circumstances of the trader, the producer and the service provider. The Vice President also directed those administering the fund to ensure that eligibility remained the basis for accessing the intervention, without favouritism or political interference.
The Katsina State Governor, Malam Dikko Umar Radda, said the state government had committed an additional N4 billion to the Nigeria for Women Programme Scale-Up, bringing its total financial commitment to N8 billion. Radda noted that the programme would expand economic opportunities for women across the state and improve their livelihoods. He highlighted the participation of women living with hearing impairment, describing the formation of affinity groups for them as an important step towards inclusion.
Governor Radda also said the state government would complement the women-focused intervention with similar programmes targeting men, noting that empowering both men and women would strengthen household incomes and promote financial independence. The governor's commitment to inclusivity and economic empowerment was commended by stakeholders.
The World Bank Country Director for Nigeria, Mr Matthew Verghis, commended the Federal and Katsina State governments for identifying the economic needs of women and addressing them through empowerment initiatives. Verghis noted that Nigerian women were already making significant contributions across different sectors of the economy, but added that closing gender gaps would require deliberate action.
Shettima's visit to Katsina also included the inauguration of 32 compressed natural gas-powered buses and 200 electric-powered tricycles under the Katsina State Comprehensive Urban Renewal Programme. He witnessed the reception of political decampees into the All Progressives Congress (APC), led by former Secretary to the Katsina State Government, Dr Mustapha Inuwa.
Key points
- The Nigeria for Women Programme Scale-Up aims to address the challenge of inadequate capital faced by women entrepreneurs.
- The programme seeks to strengthen the capacity of women to grow businesses and improve household incomes.
- The World Bank Country Director for Nigeria commended the Federal and Katsina State governments for empowering women economically.
