Vice-President Kashim Shettima has flagged off the disbursement of the Community Investment Fund under the Nigeria for Women Programme Scale-Up (NFWP-SU) in Katsina State, with more than 40,000 women expected to receive business capital to expand their enterprises and improve household incomes.
Shettima performed the flag-off on Sunday at the Muhammadu Dikko Stadium in Katsina during a one-day official visit to the state.
The Vice-President described the initiative as an investment in women’s capabilities and economic potential, saying it would expand opportunities for women who often face limited access to capital and productive resources.
“Over 40,000 women in Katsina State stand to receive business capital, having fulfilled the prescribed eligibility conditions and demonstrated satisfactory performance in their savings and group activities,” he said.
Shettima commended Governor Dikko Umaru Radda for prioritising women and vulnerable households, stressing that the success of the programme should be measured not only by the number of beneficiaries but also by stronger businesses, improved household earnings, increased employment and greater economic decision-making power for women.
He also urged beneficiaries to maintain the savings discipline, record-keeping and collective responsibility that qualified them for the intervention, while calling on programme administrators to ensure transparency, fairness and accountability in the disbursement process.
Radda seeks more funding
According to a statement issued by the Katsina State Government, Governor Radda said women’s economic empowerment remains a key component of his administration’s Building Your Future Agenda.
He said Katsina had committed matching resources to complement the World Bank’s investment, helping expand the programme from an initial six local government areas to all 34 LGAs in the state.
Radda said the Community Investment Fund would complement women’s savings and provide capital for new businesses, expansion of existing enterprises and other productive activities through Women Affinity Groups.
The governor stressed that the flag-off marked the beginning rather than the conclusion of the disbursement process.
“Today’s flag-off marks the commencement of the disbursement process; it is not the conclusion of the process. Women Affinity Groups that are not receiving their grants today should remain confident that the process will continue,” he said.
Radda also appealed to the World Bank and other development partners for additional funding and technical support to expand the programme and reach more women, particularly in underserved communities.
He highlighted the participation of women with hearing impairment who have formed their own Women Affinity Groups, describing their inclusion as part of the administration’s effort to ensure disability does not prevent access to economic opportunities.
The governor urged beneficiaries to invest the funds in viable businesses, maintain proper records and sustain the savings and cooperative practices underpinning the programme.
World Bank says women could add $22.9bn to Nigeria’s economy
World Bank representative Matthew Verghis said investment in women could significantly contribute to Nigeria’s economic growth.
He cited a World Bank Gender Innovation Lab diagnostic estimating that closing gender gaps in agriculture, self-employment and wage employment could generate $22.9 billion, equivalent to 5.8 per cent of Nigeria’s GDP.
“This gives us a clear message: investing in women is investing in Nigeria’s economic growth,” Verghis said.
He said the $540 million Nigeria for Women Programme Scale-Up is being implemented across 32 states and builds on an earlier programme that supported more than 460,000 rural women.
According to Verghis, the scale-up targets five million women directly, with millions more expected to benefit indirectly, while supporting the creation of an estimated 4.5 million jobs.
He added that women participating in the programme had already mobilised and saved more than ₦20 billion, describing the savings as evidence of financial discipline, collective action and economic agency.
Verghis particularly commended Katsina State for committing to match every dollar invested in the programme with another dollar from its own resources.
He said the commitment contributed to the expansion of NFWP-SU from six LGAs to all 34 LGAs in Katsina.
He also urged banks, financial institutions, technology companies and other private-sector organisations to regard Women Affinity Groups as potential customers, suppliers, producers and business partners rather than only beneficiaries of development programmes.
Katsina women save over ₦310m
The Commissioner for Women Affairs, Hajiya Aisha Aminu Malumfashi, said the programme had recorded progress through the formation and strengthening of Women Affinity Groups.
She disclosed that women in Katsina and Daura local government areas had formed more than 2,393 Women Affinity Groups, while Funtua had also recorded significant progress in group formation.
According to her, the groups had collectively mobilised more than ₦310 million in savings, which she described as evidence of growing financial discipline, collective responsibility and economic self-reliance.
She urged beneficiaries to use the funds responsibly, expand their businesses and strengthen their groups to improve the welfare of their families and communities.
The event was attended by the Katsina State Deputy Governor, Faruk Lawal Jobe; former Deputy Governor Mannir Yakubu; Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Nasir Yahaya Daura; Secretary to the State Government, Abdullahi Garba Faskari; members of the State Executive Council and House of Assembly; serving senators and members of the National Assembly; development partners; representatives of the World Bank, UNDP, UN Women and the Gates Foundation; Women Affinity Groups; business leaders and other dignitaries.
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