The Tinubu Northern Women Support Group (TNWSG) has launched a grant programme designed to provide financial support to 100,000 petty traders across the 19 northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), with the aim of helping small businesses grow through access to working capital.
The initiative, unveiled in Abuja by leaders of the group, focuses primarily on women who operate small trading businesses in local markets and neighbourhood communities across the northern region.
According to the organisers, the programme will provide financial grants rather than loans, allowing beneficiaries to expand their existing businesses without the burden of repayment.
National Coordinator of TNWSG, Hon. Aisha Aliyu Obalim, said the programme was designed to address one of the biggest challenges faced by petty traders in northern Nigeria—limited access to capital needed to grow their businesses.
She explained that many women already operate small trading activities but struggle to expand due to lack of funds.
“This programme is about giving hardworking women the opportunity to grow what they already have. Many petty traders have viable businesses, but they remain small simply because they lack the capital to increase their stock or expand their reach,” Obalim said.
She added that the initiative would focus on traders involved in everyday commercial activities such as food items, household goods, clothing and other small-scale market products.
Under the programme structure, beneficiaries will receive financial support intended strictly for business expansion. The funds are expected to help traders increase their inventory, improve product availability and reach more customers.
Obalim noted that petty trading remains one of the most important sources of income for families across northern Nigeria and empowering traders could have wider economic benefits.
“These women form the backbone of many local markets. When you support them with capital, you are not just helping an individual trader; you are strengthening entire household economies,” she said.
To ensure accountability and proper utilisation of the grants, the group said beneficiaries will be organised into clusters of 50 traders.
Each cluster will be supervised by a designated leader who will monitor how the funds are used and track the progress of the businesses within the group.
According to the organisers, the cluster system is expected to encourage collaboration among traders while also ensuring transparency in the programme.
Obalim explained that the monitoring framework would help the group ensure that the grants translate into real business growth for beneficiaries.
“We are putting in place a structured monitoring system so that the funds truly serve their purpose as working capital for small businesses,” she said.
“This is not a loan programme. It is a grant designed to empower petty traders who already have businesses but need financial support to expand their operations.”
The group said the programme will cover traders across the North-central, North-east and North-west zones, reaching beneficiaries in all 19 northern states as well as the Federal Capital Territory.
Obalim emphasised that the initiative is open to traders regardless of political affiliation, noting that the focus of the programme is economic empowerment and grassroots business development.
“Our objective is to support women who are already contributing to their communities through small businesses,” she said.
“Supporting 100,000 petty traders has the potential to expand market activity, strengthen local commerce and improve the economic stability of many families across northern Nigeria.”
