Vice President Kashim Shettima will on Sunday launch the Nigeria for Women Programme Scale-Up (NFWP-SU) in Katsina State, with 57,432 women expected to receive direct financial support under the Community Investment Fund.
The programme, which will initially cover women in Daura and Funtua Local Government Areas, is aimed at expanding economic opportunities, strengthening livelihoods and reducing poverty among vulnerable households.
The Katsina State Commissioner for Women Affairs, Aisha Aminu Malumfashi, described the initiative as a transformative intervention that would increase women’s participation in economic activities through direct financial assistance and community-based support.
Beneficiaries will be organised into Women Affinity Groups, where they will build savings, access financial and non-financial services, strengthen their businesses and connect with wider markets.
The World Bank Senior Social Development Specialist and Task Team Leader for the programme, Michael Ilesanmi, said women aged 18 and above, including persons with disabilities, would be eligible to participate.
He said beneficiaries would receive training in financial literacy and enterprise development, alongside improved access to finance, markets and productive opportunities.
Ilesanmi said the programme would also support sustainable livelihoods to help women build resilience to climate change and improve household welfare.
He commended the Katsina State Government for expanding the programme from six LGAs to all 34 LGAs, noting that the state had committed more than N8.5bn in counterpart funding over the past two years.
According to him, the expanded programme is expected to reach nearly 800,000 women across Katsina State.
The initiative is being implemented through a partnership involving the Federal Government, Katsina State Government, the World Bank, financial institutions, communities, women’s groups and other development partners.