Over 40,000 Katsina women to receive community investment funds

More than 40,000 women in Katsina State are to benefit from the Community Investment Fund under the Nigeria for Women Programme Scale-Up Project. Vice President Kashim Shettima announced the initiative at a ceremony in Katsina marking the start of disbursements to eligible Women Affinity Groups. He said the fund was intended to build women’s economic capacity, improve household incomes and expand financial inclusion at the grassroots.

Shettima said the beneficiaries had met eligibility requirements and demonstrated discipline through savings and group activities. He said the programme should be judged not only by the number of recipients, but by whether it strengthens businesses, raises household earnings, creates employment and improves resilience to economic shocks. The Vice President urged beneficiaries to keep proper records, make careful purchases and maintain trust within their groups.

He also called for transparent administration, saying eligibility rather than political influence should determine access to the funds. Katsina Governor Dikko Radda said the state had contributed more than N4bn to the project and approved another N4bn to expand its coverage. He said Katsina was matching every dollar provided by the World Bank.

The programme began in Katsina, Funtua and Daura local government areas and has expanded to six more, with an eventual goal of covering all 34 local government areas. Radda stressed that the flag-off marked the beginning, rather than the completion, of disbursements. He said access to finance would be accompanied by savings, training, market opportunities and institutional support.

He also highlighted women with hearing impairment who had formed an affinity group and participated in collective savings. The governor appealed for further financing and technical support from the World Bank and other development partners.