By Ajuma Edwina Ameh
Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF) has empowered 16,000 women with N160 million across the 16 local government areas of Kwara State.
Each beneficiary got N10,000 each to boost their petty trade and also start new businesses.
At an event held in Moro Local Government area, the State Deputy Governor, Mr Kayode Alabi, who stood in for Gov. Abdulraham Abdulrasaq, lauded the foundation for the empowerment, describing it as part of the key economic tools needed to boost the socio-economic activities.
“This Aliko Dangote Foundation empowerment programme will impact positively on the socio-economic activity of our state. We are so pleased with this and cannot thank Aliko Dangote enough.
“We don’t want people to come and unnecessarily populate the urban areas, we want to encourage people to stay in the rural areas and add value to the respective lives and also to the state economy.
“This indeed is a noble gesture,” he said.
Also speaking, Dangote’s Group Executive Director, Government and Strategic Relations, Engr. Ahmed Mansur, who represented Aliko Dangote said: “To Aliko Dangote, whom much is given, much is expected. Dangote is being blessed by Allah and he enjoys sharing some of his blessings with the people around him.
” This investment in the rural areas will circulate well in this rural areas and also boost the economy of the state eventually.. We are going to do this in all the local governments in Nigeria.”
In the same vein, the Managing Director and Chief Executive of ADF, Zouera Youssoufou, said the empowerment is an ongoing programme of the Foundation and that while some Local Governments have been covered already, all rural women in the local governments, across the the country will also benefit.
She said: “The focus is on women because we all need to note that once you support a woman, you are supporting the whole family and the multiplier effect of that will be very great. We have done several states in the past and today we are also doing for Kwara, empowering 1,000 women for each of the 16 local governments in kwara.
“Each of the women gets 10,000 each, to be disbursed immediately and concluded within the next three weeks all across the state.”
It would be recalled that ADF recently launched a major philanthropic programme in Zamfara State, doling out food items running into several millions of naira to support victims of insurgency.
The farmers-herders clashes and attacks by cattle rustlers have displaced thousands, many of whom are currently seeking refuge at Maradun Local Government Area of the
Ji.
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