Sokoto State has taken another step to boost women-owned businesses as no fewer than 320 small-scale women entrepreneurs received support under the International Fund for Agricultural Development and Assisted Climate Change Agribusiness programme. The initiative was flagged off on Wednesday by the Wife of the State Governor, Her Excellency Dr. Fatima Ahmed Aliyu, during a distribution exercise held at the Sultan Muhammadu Institute for Qur’an and General Studies.
Dr. Fatima explained that the programme is designed to boost small-scale businesses and enhance local food production, with a focus on women engaged in food processing trades. “This support is targeted at women engaged in various food processing trades to strengthen their enterprises and alleviate economic challenges,” she said.
The beneficiaries include processors of rice, locally known as Shinkafa and Tuwo-Tuwo, millet, popularly called Bula and Hura-Hura, soybeans, referred to as Wake da Wake, and beans, known as Kosai. She emphasized that empowering women remains a cornerstone of societal development, noting that women entrepreneurs play a vital role in providing family income and driving Sokoto State’s economic growth.
“Women entrepreneurs are crucial to the development of our communities, but they often face limited access to funds and resources,” she stated. Dr. Fatima recalled that the present administration, led by Governor Ahmed Aliyu, had earlier trained thousands of youths and women in different skills and provided them with starter packs to create more opportunities for self-reliance.
She also pointed out her personal contributions in complementing government’s agenda through programmes aimed at supporting women, children, and other vulnerable groups across the state. Dr. Fatima urged all beneficiaries to make good use of the support to improve their livelihoods and bring positive changes to their communities.