Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago has approved the release of One Billion Naira as matching grant to empower 75,545 women across the State under the Nigeria For Women Project (NFWP)
The NFWP is a World Bank initiative introduced to enhance the livelihood of women in the State.
The N1 billion approval by the Governor was in fulfillment of his pledge to empower more women to ensure grassroots development during his visit to the Hazaka Women Affinity Group in Tufa Community, in Gurara Local Government Area earlier this year.
Construction of 41 collective centres to serve as processing mills for the over 75,000 women registered under various Affinity Groups across Gurara, Agaie, and Wushishi Local Government Areas are at various levels.
Out of the 41 processing mills, 32 will be for rice, 8 for groundnut and one for Shea butter.
The Deputy Chief of Staff to the Governor, Sadiq Yusuf and the State Project Coordinator, Nigeria for Women Project, Bello Sarki inspected the ongoing construction in the benefitting Local Government Areas to ensure their completion for the launch expected to be held soon.
The centres when completed, are expected to make many women independent and improve their economic status while contributing to food security even as the Governor has mandated the Ministries of Education and Humanitarian Affairs to purchase the products processed by the women for the school feeding programme and other humanitarian services.
