No fewer than 3000 Women in Kogi State will be benefitting from the N20,00 cash grant initiated by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government.

The minister for Humanitarian Affairs Hon. Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouk disclosed this on Tuesday at the Flag-Off of the Grant for Rural Women Project and Symbolic Disbursement held at the Kogi State Government House in Lokoja.

The Minister said the grant is expected to increase the income and productive assets of target beneficiaries.

Represented by the ministry’s permanent secretary, Bashir Nura Alkali, the minister expressed optimism that beneficiaries will make good use of the grant to generally contribute towards improving their living standard.

He said the grant is seed money to boost the trade and business of beneficiaries for greater income but asked them not to see it as their share of the so-called National Cake.

According to the minister, “We believe with the complementary effort of the State Government, the target beneficiaries will all be adequately covered within the next few days. I am optimistic that with the support and cooperation of Your Excellency and other stakeholders present here, we will remain on track to improving the livelihood of the ordinary Nigerians.

“To the beneficiaries, Let me, however, reiterate that this money belongs to you and you alone. It is meant for you to use in any small business venture you deem fit and that will improve your lives. Please ensure that you use it for this purpose.

The Grant for Rural Women programme according to Farouk

was introduced in 2020 to sustain the social inclusion agenda of President Buhari’s Administration.

Giving an overview of the scheme, the minister noted that “It is consistent with the President’s national vision of lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years. It is designed to provide a one-off grant to some of the poorest and most vulnerable women in rural and peri-urban areas of the country.

“A cash grant of N20,000.00 will be disbursed to about 125,000 poor women across the 36 States of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory”.

In his address, the Executive Governor of Kogi State Alhaji Yahaya Bello who was represented by his Deputy, Chief Edward David Onoja thanked the president for the initiative, adding that his administration has keyed into the program as it will ameliorate the suffering of the masses.

Ugama TV reports that goodwill messages were delivered by the Kogi State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development Hajia Fatima Kabir Buba and the State Focal Person National Social Investment Program Suleiman Oyekeyi.