As part of the its desire to support female entrepreneurs, the Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF) has empowered not less than 34,000 startups owned by women in the 34 Local Governments in Katsina State.
From a N10 billion micro-grant which was set aside by the foundation for disadvantaged women across the country, the fund is meant to empower women economically, either to start or to further grow their businesses.
Speaking at the flag-off ceremony held recently in Batagarawa Local Government in Katsina State, the Chairman of ADF, Aliko Dangote, disclosed that 1,000 women were drawn from each of the 34 local government areas in the state, with each woman receiving N10,000,00 each. The ceremony had the state governor, Aminu Bello Masari and other top government officials in attendance.
Dangote further explained that the foundation had in 2012 earmarked N10 billion for the empowerment of vulnerable women in the 774 Local governments in the country. He added that, so far, about 360,000 women from Kano, Lagos, Jigawa, Kogi, Adamawa, Borno, Yobe, Niger, Sokoto and Nasarawa States, representing 40 per cent of the total estimated beneficiaries, have benefitted from this scheme.
“The micro-grants programme is a major component of the Economic Empowerment pillar of the Foundation. It provides disadvantaged and vulnerable women with a one-off, unconditional N10,000,00 cash transfer to boost their household income generation. This, we believe, will help reduce their vulnerability and meet their livelihood needs,” Dangote said.