40,000 Women to Benefit as Shettima, Radda Unveil Katsina’s N8bn Empowerment Fund

More than 40,000 women in Katsina State are expected to benefit from a Community Investment Fund aimed at strengthening businesses, increasing household incomes and improving financial inclusion.

Vice President Kashim Shettima formally flagged off the disbursement of the fund on Sunday under the Nigeria for Women Programme Scale-Up Project during his visit to the state.

The beneficiaries are organised into Women Affinity Groups, through which they save collectively, access financial services and receive support to establish or expand businesses.

Shettima said the programme was designed to invest in the productive capacity of women rather than simply distribute money.

He said beneficiaries had met the required conditions through their savings and participation in group activities, adding that the success of the initiative would ultimately be measured by its impact on businesses and households.

The Vice President urged beneficiaries to use the funds responsibly, keep proper financial records and maintain the discipline that qualified them for the intervention.

He also stressed that access to the fund must be based on eligibility and not political influence.

“Eligibility must remain the basis of access without favouritism or political interference,” Shettima said, while calling for transparency and proper documentation throughout the disbursement process.

Katsina State Governor, Dikko Radda, said the state government had committed more than N4 billion to the programme and recently approved an additional N4 billion to expand its coverage.

This brings the state’s commitment to the programme to N8 billion, complementing support from the World Bank.

Radda said the initiative initially covered Katsina, Funtua and Daura local government areas before being expanded to additional areas, with the state government planning to eventually extend it across all 34 local government areas.

He explained that the flag-off marked the beginning of the disbursement process and not its conclusion, assuring eligible groups that had not yet received funds that the process would continue in phases.

The governor said access to finance must be supported with skills, knowledge, market opportunities and other resources needed to sustain businesses.

The World Bank said the wider Nigeria for Women Programme Scale-Up is being implemented across 32 states, targeting millions of women and supporting job creation.

The Katsina initiative is expected to help participating women expand businesses, improve household earnings and strengthen their ability to withstand economic challenges.

The programme also includes women with disabilities, with groups formed to ensure they can participate in the economic empowerment initiative.

The state government said it would continue working with the Federal Government and development partners to expand the programme and reach more women, particularly those in underserved communities.