Over 40,000 Katsina women set to receive business capital under federal programme

Vice-President Kashim Shettima has launched the disbursement of Community Investment Fund support to more than 40,000 women in Katsina State under the Nigeria for Women Programme Scale-Up. The flag-off took place on Sunday at Muhammadu Dikko Stadium in Katsina. Shettima said the beneficiaries had met the programme’s requirements through savings and participation in Women Affinity Groups.

He described the intervention as an investment in women’s enterprise and productivity, and urged recipients to use the funds carefully, keep financial records and continue saving. He also called on programme managers to ensure transparency and accountability during the distribution. Katsina Governor Dikko Radda said the state’s matching contribution had helped expand the World Bank-supported programme from six local government areas to all 34.

He said the fund would complement women’s savings and provide capital for new and existing businesses. Radda said the disbursement would continue in phases and that eligible groups that had not yet received grants would be included later. He also highlighted the participation of women with hearing impairment through their own affinity groups.

World Bank representative Matthew Verghis said the wider Nigeria for Women Programme Scale-Up was being implemented in 32 states. He said the $540 million programme directly targeted five million women and was expected to support 4.5 million jobs. Verghis added that participating women had mobilised more than ₦20 billion in savings.

Katsina Commissioner for Women Affairs Aisha Malumfashi said more than 2,393 groups had been established and had collectively saved over ₦310 million. After the ceremony, Shettima commissioned three road projects and inaugurated 30 compressed natural gas hybrid buses and 200 electric tricycles in the state.