Sokoto state government on Monday distributed N10 million and business working tools to 500 women selected from 23 local government areas of the state.
Newsmen reports that the benefiting women have undergone 3-week skill acquisition training on various businesses aimed at empowering them to become productive and self reliant.
Speaking at the graduating ceremony and commemorating the 2025 International Women Day (IWD), the State Commissioner for Women and Children Affairs, Hajia Hadiza Shagari, said the initiative was part of women empowerment programmes designed by the present administration.
Shagari said each trained woman had collected N20,000 with business kits relevant to her business and urged them to start the ventures as expected.
She said beneficiaries are also expected to train others in their localities for more women to benefit while government would embarked on more rounds of training programmes.
The Commissioner noted that Gov. Ahmad Aliyu had designed series of women empowerment programmes in recognition of women contribution to the community development being pillars of families.
According to her, government had designed women training on home farming for potato, tomatoes and other vegetables production through simple techniques.
In her remark, Wife of Sokoto State Governor, Hajiya Fatima Aliyu, urged the beneficiaries to utilize the opportunity and embarked on viable businesses which would support their family members.
Aliyu, represented by Director General of Sokoto State Medium Scale Enterprises Development Agency (SOSMEDA), Hajia Binta Usman, described the programme as a reciprocation of women supports.
Aliyu underscored the importance of women empowerment in all sectors stressing that women deserves more empowerment supports in view of vulnerability and other considerations.
She urged women to be proactive on pursuing education, healthcare as well as engage on entrepreneurship in order to remain relevant in the society.
Hajiya Hauwa Umar-Jabo, the Director Women in Sokoto State Ministry of Women and Affairs, said the graduating women were trained on food and beverages making, cosmetology and body beauty, shoe and bags making, perfume and cream making, soap and detergent making and interior decorations businesses.
” The ministry will remain committed to supporting women empowerment initiatives, we are working with relevant stakeholders and partners to provide policies that protect women rights and children.
” Women are selected from every localities irrespective of ethnic, religious and political backgrounds, we are targeting women especially youths on all the programmes, ” Umar-Jabo said.
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Programme Officer, Ms Gloria Enueze, commended the state initiative of women empowerment and assured that UNFPA would continue to support the initiatives.
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