Kaduna: Conditional Cash Transfer Scheme Empowers 65,848 Women

Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, on Friday launched the Women Economic Empowerment Policy during the ongoing Women Economic Empowerment Summit, revealing that 65,848 women have benefited from the Conditional Cash Transfer Scheme under his administration.

Speaking at the event held at the Umaru Musa Yar’adua Hall, Murtala Mohammed Square, Kaduna, Governor Sani highlighted that his administration has significantly enhanced the implementation of the Kaduna State Women Economic Empowerment Fund (KADSWEF).

He stated that his government has made remarkable strides in its Social Investment Programmes, noting, “65,848 women, out of a total of 70,051, have benefitted from our Conditional Cash Transfer Scheme.”

According to the Governor, KADSWEF is a unique annual initiative designed to provide financial support to women. “We allocated N200 million in the 2024 Budget for this Fund. To date, 10,786 women have benefitted, and the government is preparing to roll out the 4.0 tranche to additional beneficiaries, including women from various cooperative groups and associations,” he added.

Governor Sani further revealed that his administration has trained over 5,000 rural and semi-urban women in large-scale rice shelling, using modern agricultural techniques to boost productivity, reduce labor costs, and improve product quality.

Additionally, more than 120 women and adolescent girls have received vocational and entrepreneurship training to enhance their skills and economic independence.

In the agricultural sector, Governor Sani noted that the state made history by executing the largest free fertilizer distribution in Nigeria, with women farmers being key beneficiaries. “We approved the distribution of 500 trucks of fertilizer, 240,000 bags of which have already been distributed free to 120,000 smallholder farmers,” he stated.

The Governor emphasized that his administration’s investment in women is an investment in the future of Kaduna State, underlining the government’s commitment to improving the state’s economic landscape.

At the event, one of the partners of the Women Empowerment Policy, the Development Research and Projects Centre (dRPC), pointed out the critical link between women’s economic empowerment and the prevention of gender-based violence.

Hassan Aliyu Karofi, dRPC’s Director of Partnerships and Communications, urged other state governments to adopt the National Women Economic Empowerment (WEE) Policy as a core strategy for development. He praised Kaduna State for being the first to domesticate the WEE policy under Governor Uba Sani’s leadership, calling it a significant step in improving the lives of women and creating safer communities.

Karofi added, “Empowering women economically strengthens their resilience, reduces vulnerability, and addresses the root causes of violence against women.” The dRPC is supporting eight states in the policy’s domestication, with 11 more states set to begin the process next month, making this initiative a nationwide movement aimed at transforming the lives of Nigerian women.