The Chairman of the Chanchaga Local Government Council in Niger, Mustapha Jibril, has disbursed N22 million to 1,100 women petty traders to strengthen their businesses and improve their livelihoods.

Mr Jibril, while presenting the financial support to the beneficiaries in Minna on Thursday, said each of them received N20,000 to enable them to expand their trading activities and increase household income.

The theme of the empowerment programme was “Chanchaga for Bago Women Empowerment Initiative.”

The chairman said that the empowerment programme was part of the council’s efforts to support vulnerable women and promote economic empowerment at the grassroots.

“The initiative is in recognition of support for the people-oriented leadership and empowerment agenda of Governor Umaru Bago,’’ he said.

Mr Jibril said the initiative was conceived after he toured the local government and observed the challenges women faced in sustaining their small businesses.

According to him, the situation prompted the council to introduce the empowerment programme as a way of supporting women and helping them keep their businesses afloat.

Mr Jibril said the local government secured the support of Wema Bank for the programme, adding that beneficiaries would be provided with cards through which they could access the funds from Point-of-Sale (POS) outlets.

He said the arrangement was designed to make access to the funds easier and more convenient for the beneficiaries.

Mr Jibril said the initiative demonstrated his administration’s commitment to supporting women at the grassroots and creating opportunities for them to improve their economic status.

He urged the beneficiaries to make productive use of the funds by investing in their businesses and using the opportunity to improve their livelihoods.

The chairman noted plans to establish a council comprising former local government chairmen to provide advice and guidance to the present administration.

According to him, the experience of former chairmen will be useful in strengthening governance and ensuring effective delivery of the council’s responsibilities to the people.

In her remarks, Vice-Chairman of the council, Safiya Nasidi, said empowering a woman was equivalent to empowering a nation.

She urged the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the financial support and invest it wisely in their businesses.

Also speaking, Chairman of APC in Chanchaga LGA, Bala Karaye, described the programme as an initiative capable of making a significant impact on the local economy.

Mr Karaye, represented by Isah Abdulkadir, commended the organisers and the committee for their efforts in advancing the initiative and expressed optimism that similar programmes would continue.

(NAN)