The Minister of Finance, Hajiya Zainab Ahmed, has distributed N12 million worth of starter packs and capital in various vocations to empower 3,300 women drawn from the 23 local government areas of Kaduna state.
Ahmed explained at the programme in collaboration with National Directorate of Employment (NDE), who trained the beneficiaries, and Buhari, El-Rufai Support Team (BEST), that the empowerment packages include 92 grinding machines, starter packs in cosmetology, soap making, cream making, antiseptic making, computer, installations of CCTV, internet server and terrestrial TV dish to women, who were trained on these skills and cash to business women to expand their businesses.
The minister noted that women empowerment was key to uplifting the living standard of women, particularly in the northern part of the country who were poor. She noted that a self-reliant skill, a little financial support and encouragement will go a long way in ensuring financial independence of women, particularly in rural areas who are usually left behind.
“Realising that our women are not benefiting from government support, I decided to encourage them to form cooperative societies and together with BEST we partnered with NDE to train them. Today we are giving them starter packs to help them roll out their business and for those with little business we are giving them cash support to expand their business. This is our way of giving back to our society and put smiles to the faces of women who toils everyday to take care of the family.”
The Minister equally donated nine vehicles to All Progressive Congress (APC) gubernatorial, Senatorial and House of Representatives candidates and campaign organisation in the state.
She said that the gesture is to help mobilise Kaduna state people for the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari, Governor Nasir el-Rufai and APC candidates, while calling on women in the state to help mobilise their husbands, children and community to ensure APC’s victory in the 2019 election for more dividend of democracy.
Also speaking, Governor el-Rufai thanked the minister and BEST for supporting Kaduna state women with source of livelihood to better their lives. He described the minister’s gesture as the first in the history of Kaduna state, where a woman remembers her fellow women and takes step to empower them. According to him, the world’s population are either women or people born by women, this empowering them is a sure way of achieving socio-economic development.
He said that the state government, through the Ministry for Women Affairs and Social Development, disbursed N200 million as soft loan to women across the state to boost their businesses.
El-Rufai added that the amount would be increase to N400 million this year and to N800 million in 2020 if re-elected, urging the women and people of the state to vote for APC in the general election.
Wife of the President, Hajiya Aisha Buhari, who was represented by the wife of Nasarawa State Governor, Hajiya Mairo Al-makura also urged women of the state to give 100 support to APC and advised them against selling their votes.
The Director General NDE, Dr Nasir Ladan, equally thanked the minister for her passion towards supporting the women of Kaduna state with N12 million empowerment package to live a quality life.
Ladan, who was represented by the North West Zonal Director, Malam Abubakar Nuhu, appealed to the beneficiaries to make the best use of the items.
Some of the beneficiaries thanked the minister, NDE and BEST for the support, saying it would add value to their lives. One of them, Amina Mohammed, a mother of six, said that she was trained on how to make cosmetics, adding that the start-up pack would help her put the acquired skills to financial use.
A business woman, Mrs Victoria Yakubu, said that the financial support would help boost her business of buying and selling grains, improve profit margin and make more money for the family.
