Chairman of Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF), Aliko Dangote, on Wednesday, flagged off a micro-grant scheme in Sokoto aimed at economic empowerment and poverty reduction, following similar moves that have now benefitted more than 300,000 women across Nigeria.
The micro-grant scheme is aimed at lifting 23,990 poor and vulnerable women out of poverty across the 23 local government areas in Sokoto State.
Dangote, fresh from a recent donation of two student hostels to the Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State, kicked off the Sokoto phase of a scheme targeted at empowering 774,000 women (1,000 women from each of the 774 LGAS across Nigeria), at a whopping cost of N10 billion.
So far, the sum of N3.345 billion has been disbursed by the ADF to 334,500 women across Kano, Jigawa, Kogi, Adamawa, Borno, Yobe, Lagos, Niger and Nasarawa states.
The President/CEO of Dangote Industries Limited, ranked the 6th most charitable person in the world in 2018, was accompanied by the Executive Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, representatives of the Sultan of Sokoto, executive management of the Dangote Group, top dignitaries and traditional rulers in the State.
“In Sokoto, we are empowering 23,990 women, including those in the IDP camps in Rabah LGA. 1,000 vulnerable women were selected in each of your 23LGAS,” said Dangote. “However due to the displacement of the community in Rabah, we have also included all eligible women in the IDP camp, totalling 1,990 women for Rabah LGA.”
Dangote also said ADF will provide the 23,990 vulnerable women identified by the state’s selection committee, with a one off, unconditional N10,000 cash grant to boost their household income and help to reduce the women’s vulnerability.
The micro-grants programme which is one component of the Economic Empowerment pillar of the Aliko Dangote Foundation and was launched in 2012.
Since inception, 334,500 women, representing over 40 percent of the target beneficiaries have benefitted from the programme from across Kano, Lagos, Jigawa, Kogi, Adamawa, Borno, Yobe, Niger and Nasarawa states, DAF said. Plans are to proceed to Katsina and then Kebbi and Zamfara which would result in 55 percent coverage.
“To ensure inclusivity, the programme is implemented in partnership with the respective state governments. We are partnering Access Bank to open bank accounts for all the beneficiaries and issue them with customized debit cards that will be loaded with the NGN 10,000,” Dangote said.
Some of the beneficiaries, including 41-year-old Ramatu Isiaka, a provisions seller; 30-year old Lateefat Bello, who sells soft drinks at the Sokoto Market, and 30-year-old Sadiat Aminu, who fries soya-bean cakes.
Source: Businessdayng
