The Katsina State Government has released N8.5 billion as counterpart funding for the Nigeria for Women Programme Scale-Up.

At least 800,000 women across the state are expected to benefit from the expanded programme.

Michael Ilesanmi, senior social development specialist and task team leader, disclosed this on Friday in Katsina.

He said the N8.5 billion represented actual releases made by the state government over the past two years.

Mr Ilesanmi stressed that the amount was not merely a budgetary provision but funds already released as counterpart financing.

He said the World Bank would provide an additional 15 million dollars to support the programme’s implementation in Katsina.

The programme seeks to mobilise poor and vulnerable women into affinity groups and link them with finance, markets and productive opportunities.

Mr Ilesanmi said Katsina’s commitment had enabled the programme to expand from six proposed pilot LGAs to all 34 LGAs.

He said the expansion would raise the number of beneficiaries from the initial projection of 150,000 women to at least 800,000.

The programme is designed to improve women’s financial inclusion through financial literacy, planning, savings mobilisation and partnerships with financial service providers.

It will also support affinity groups to undertake productive livelihood activities, generate income and build resilience to climate change.

Mr Ilesanmi said women remained central to Nigeria’s economy, particularly in agriculture, trading, processing and small businesses.

However, he said women continued to face barriers to finance, markets, productive assets, skills and economic networks.

He said addressing those constraints was fundamental to improving productivity, reducing poverty, promoting economic growth and creating jobs.

“Money in itself cannot address these problems, and that is why it is important to address the norms,” Mr Ilesanmi said.

He stressed the need to combine financial interventions with mindset and behavioural changes to achieve sustainable economic empowerment.

Mr Ilesanmi commended the Katsina Government for taking ownership of the programme and expanding it beyond the pilot areas.

He described Katsina as a flagship state for the Nigeria for Women Programme because of its commitment to the intervention.

The World Bank official said the state government would also provide additional services, including health insurance linkage for programme beneficiaries.

He said the additional support was intended to make the empowerment intervention more comprehensive for participating women.

Earlier, Aisha Aminu-Malumfashi, Commissioner for Women Affairs, said the state would begin Community Investment Fund disbursement on October 4.

Mrs Aminu-Malumfashi said the programme began as a pilot in Katsina, Funtua and Daura LGAs before expanding to other areas.

She said women were organised into Women Affinity Groups comprising 25 members and trained in savings, financial literacy and enterprise development.

The commissioner said mindset change and behavioural change remained core components of the programme.

She said the intervention was designed to make women more resilient and economically independent.

Mrs Aminu-Malumfashi said the Community Investment Fund would enable groups to invest in economic activities and strengthen their livelihoods.

She said the programme’s impact would be measured through businesses created, household improvements, savings accumulated and opportunities generated, rather than funds disbursed alone.

 (NAN)