The government of Jigawa State has announced a N50 million empowerment fund for 1,000 women traders to help them cope with the effects of the removal of the fuel subsidy.
The State’s Commissioner for Information, Sagir Musa, who made the announcement during a press briefing, said that the initiative was introduced following a memo by Hadiza Abdulwahab, the Commissioner for Women’s Affairs, requesting the funding to support the affected women.
He added that the announcement is part of the government’s efforts to mitigate the effects of the subsidy removal on the state’s citizens.
“The council ordered the ministry to select 1,000 women petty traders and support them with N50,000 each, to enhance their businesses.
“This is just the beginning, more programmes and projects will follow, to support the people as part of our efforts to cushion the effects of the subsidy removal.”
The Commissioner, Mr. Musa, went on to explain that the Governor of Jigawa, Mr. Umar Namadi, had outlined his “Greater Jigawa agenda,” a 12-point plan to improve the state’s development, during the council meeting. The agenda focuses on the key areas of agriculture, human capital development, youth empowerment, tourism, health, education, and infrastructure.