Aliko Dangote Foundation yesterday flagged off its one-off and unconditional Micro-grants Programme in Katsina State with 34,000 disadvantaged women as beneficiaries.
The foundation had in 2012 earmarked N10 billion for the empowerment of vulnerable women in the 774 local governments in the country, President of the Dangote Group Aliko Dangote said at the flag-off ceremony in Batagarawa Local Government Area of the state.
One thousand women were drawn from each of the state’s 34 local government areas with each woman getting N10,000, Dangote said.
“The micro-grants programme is one component of the economic empowerment pillar of the foundation. It provides disadvantaged and vulnerable women with a one-off, unconditional N10,000 cash transfer to boost their household income generation. This we believe will help reduce their vulnerability and meet their livelihood needs,” he added.
He said so far about 360,000 women, representing 40%, have benefitted from Kano, Lagos, Jigawa, Kogi, Adamawa, Borno, Yobe, Niger, Sokoto and Nasarawa states.
“In the coming weeks we would be proceeding to Kebbi, Zamfara, Edo and Osun states to conduct a similar programme,” he said.
