Hussaini Kafi in Kano
Katsina State Governor, Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, has announced a N4 billion budgetary allocation to support women-focused economic initiatives under the Nigeria for Women Project (NFWP), with over 800,000 women set to benefit.
Speaking at the North West Scale-Up Summit of the NFWP in Katsina on Wednesday, Radda described the project as “a transformative grassroots movement built on dignity, inclusion, and resilience.”
He noted that the program, already operating in Katsina, Daura, and Funtua LGAs, will now expand to all 34 local government areas of the state.
“This will be achieved through the formation of Women Affinity Groups (WAGs), access to microcredit, entrepreneurship training, and community-based cooperatives,” he said.
Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Imaan Suleiman-Ibrahim, hailed Radda’s commitment. “Katsina has become a reference point for inclusive governance,” she said.
World Bank representatives and other stakeholders echoed similar sentiments, stressing that women’s economic inclusion could boost Nigeria’s GDP by up to $27 billion.
