Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, has approved N3.5 billion in counterpart funding to expand the Nigeria for Women Project Scale-Up (NFWP-SU) to all 11 Local Government Areas of the state.
The development was announced by the NFWP-SU Task Team Lead, Michael Ilesonmi, during an event in Deba, the headquarters of Yamaltu-Deba Local Government Area.
The programme currently operates in three local government areas — Balanga, Yamaltu-Deba and Funakaye. The new funding is expected to enable its expansion across the state and increase the number of women who can access its financial and livelihood support initiatives.
Ilesonmi commended Gombe State for its implementation of the programme, describing it as the best-performing state in the country in terms of execution.
He said the additional funding would strengthen opportunities for women to access savings schemes, financial support, livelihood development and enterprise programmes.
Governor Yahaya, represented at the event by his Deputy, Manassah Daniel Jatau, reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to improving the economic wellbeing of women and girls across the state.
The governor said his administration had supported several programmes aimed at empowering women, including the AGILE Project, and urged beneficiaries to maximise opportunities provided through government and development partners.
He also called for greater participation of women in political activities, leadership and decision-making, alongside their increasing involvement in economic activities.
Yahaya stressed the need for policies and programmes supporting women to remain sustainable beyond the tenure of individual administrations.
Earlier, the National Project Coordinator of the programme, Dr Hadiza Maina, said Women Affinity Groups (WAGs) were designed to provide women with platforms to save money, access loans, build businesses and strengthen their economic and social independence.
The announcement of the funding was welcomed by women participating in the programme, with some beneficiaries saying the initiative had helped them develop better savings habits, improve financial discipline and reduce their reliance on others.
Gombe Governor Approves N3.5bn to Expand Women’s Empowerment Programme
