From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
Kaduna State government has begun disbursement of N50,000.00 each to over 15,000 women and People With Disabilities (PWDs) who have opened bank accounts as grants from the state government to boost their businesses.
The State Commissioner for Human Services and Social Development, Hajiya Rabi Salisu disclosed this during one day citizens engagement workshop on the Domestication of WEE POLICY in Kaduna State organised by Development Research and Projects Centre to support the domestication of national Policy in the state.
Hajiya Rabi Salisu said Kaduna State is determined to invest in women and girls through various interventions in economic development, education, agriculture, and entrepreneurship.
According to her, “Over 15000 women in Kaduna have been included financially. they own their account so that they can be financially independent and financially included into Global system of Digitisation”
She said, the state government had registered over 20000 women who would befit on the School feeding programme of both Federal and Kaduna State feeding Programmes.
“WEE POLICY is a good opportunity for Kaduna State Women, even in the first 100 days of this administration of Senator Uba Sani, over 5000 women have been empower through Digitisation, Agriculture among others”
The Commissioner who commended the Development Research and Projects Centre dRPC for supporting the state in domesticating the policy, said Kaduna would be the first State who can launched and domesticate WEE POLICY for the benefit of entire women across the state.
“We have Kaduna State Women Empowered Programme KADSWEP 1.0 and 2.0 which are the pilot programme for women empowerment”
“We have been budgeted for KADSWEP 3.0 which is still in the pipeline.
According to her, over 80 percent of women who benefited from Kaduna Women Empowered Programme KADSWEP loan had not refund the money.
She said it was challenging to the government to give soft loan and it has not brought back to the government to go round for other women to benefit.
“But notwithstanding, we have been given about 200 million naira in our budget. But we want to bring those ones to make the government be reassured that, women are serious to go into business and women are ever ready to comply with all the agreement they have signed”
Hajiya Rabi Salisu further revealed that, government had sent messages to all women that benefited from KADSWEP 1.0 and 2.0 to return it to government through the Ministry of Human Services and Social Development to enable other women befit.
Earlier, the Executive Director, Development Research and Projects Centre dRPC, Dr Judith-Ann Walker, represented by the Director of Partnerships and Communications, Malam Hassan Aliyu Karofi, said the rationale behind organising the workshop was to support Kaduna state women’s inclusion.
Dr Judith explained that, 24 more states have been earmarked to be supported to domesticate the policy.
He said Nigeria stands to earn over $2.5bn in investment and economic growth when the policy is domesticated and implemented by the sub-nationals.
Dr Judith Walker pointed out that, with over 50% of citizens as women, Kaduna state stands to benefit from the immense economic opportunities drivable from empowered women.
In her presentation at the workshop, the Gender Lead at the Albright Stonebridge Group, Mrs Rimicit Aboki, challenged the subnational governments to explore the value inherent in domesticating and implementing the policy to unlock the potential of women’s economic empowerment.
The World Bank representative at the workshop, Mr Musa Yusuf commended the Kaduna state government for embracing the policy while assuring that the Bank will provide technical assistance to the state to support the domestication of the policy for the benefit of the citizens.
The workshop brought representatives from civil society, traditional and religious leaders, women-led organization, the private sector and Ministries, departments and parastatals in Kaduna State.
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