The All Progressives Congress (APC), said it was working in partnership with the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) to empower 20, 000 indigent women and youth in Zamfara to earn decent living.
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News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the empowerment programme was inaugurated on Tuesday in Gusau.
Zamfara APC Chairman, Alhaji Lawal Liman said at the event that the beneficiaries were drawn from the 14 local government areas of the state.
“We are inaugurating this programme today with the disbursement of N1.4 million to 140 women from the 14 LGAs of the state under the federal government’s Income Generating Activities Scheme.
“Apart from the income generating scheme, more federal government empowerment programmes are around the corner for APC members in the state.
“Very soon, we will commence disbursement for beneficiaries of youths empowerment, and small and medium scale businesses schemes”, Liman said.
He thanked President Muhammad Buhari and the NDE for their support in creating employment opportunities for youth and women in the state.
Liman said the initiative was to assist members of the party especially youths and women to become self-reliant.
“I am also using this medium to thank the APC leader in the state, Alhaji Abdulaziz Yari and North West Women Leader of the party, Hajiya Yuhanazu Buba for securing the gesture to our party members.
“You know, one of the manifesto of our great party is to provide employment opportunities for teeming youths in the country”, he added.
The Director General of NDE, Dr Nasiru Ladan said the programme was designed to empower indigent women and lift them out of poverty.
Ladan, who was represented by the State NDE Coordinator, Malam Abdullahi Yakubu, said each of the 140 beneficiaries would receive N10, 000 to set up small scale businesses.
“NDE has the mandate to create various employment opportunities to unemployed Nigerians, especially youth and women.
“Youth and women employment is an area of great concern to President Muhammad Buhari.
“We are today launching the empowerment of 140 women from the 14 local government areas of the state under women income generating activities scheme.
“Very soon we will commence Micro Enterprise Enhancement Scheme for 11, 000 people, where each beneficiary would also be supported with N10, 000.
“Recently, we have empowered over 20, 000 women in cosmetology across the six geo-political zones of the country”, Ladan said.
In her remarks, the APC North West Zonal Women Leader, Hajiya Yahanazu Ahmad, represented by the state APC Women Leader, Hajiya Jimmai Wakili thanked the federal government and NDE for the gesture.
Ahmad charged the beneficiaries to utilise the fund given to them judiciously, saying; “I call on you to use this wonderful opportunity brought to your door steps”.
One of the beneficiaries, Maijidda Abdullahi thanked the state leadership of the party and federal government for the gesture.
“On behalf of the beneficiaries of today’s empowerment programme, we promise to utilise the fund given to us in the way it would assist our families,” Abdullahi said.