By; FUNMI ADERINTO, Kaduna
Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State has flagged off the disbursement of N200 million as part of Kaduna State Women Empowerment Fund (KADSWEF), to commemorate the 2022 International Women’s Day, making it the third time that his administration will empower women entrepreneurs.
The flag off which was witnessed by senior government officials, women groups and civil society organisations as well as the general public, was held at Umar Musa Yar’adua Conference Centre, Kaduna on Tuesday.
The Governor reiterated that the fund is meant to support small traders with capital to grow their businesses, noting that women economic empowerment increases the quality of lives of their families and improves the society.
el-Rufai argued that “women are the foundation of the society” and the APC government of Kaduna state “really believes in supporting women because when you empower a women you empower her family and the society. ‘’
He further pointed out that ‘’when you give loan to a woman, she pays for her children’s education, feeds her children, and helps her husband. Our women in Kaduna have done very well to make us succeed.’’
el-Rufai said that the Commissioner of Human Services and Social Development, Hajiya Hafsat Mohammed Baba initiated KADSWEF because ‘’ women traders need small amount of capital to increase the sales and their businesses, and she said let us do something specially for women. ‘’
According to him, Hajiya Hafsat further argued that “women are afraid of going to the bank to borrow, they are not given the chance. Let’s do something just for women and I said, ‘ bring it to the Executive Council.’ ‘’
The governor recalled that the commissioner requested for N100 million but ‘’ we doubled it to N200 million, and we have been consistently doing it since 2019, is only in 2020 that we did not do it due to the covid-19 lockdown.’’
The governor explained that the government changed the name of Ministry of Women Affairs to the Ministry of Human Services and Social Development ‘’ because there is no humanity without a woman.’’
“Women are the basis of humanity, women are the root of humanity and when the quality of the lives of women is improved the quality of society improves.
The governor also commended the efforts and input of women holding appointive positions in Kaduna State Government, advising women generally to be confident in themselves.
“I want our women in Kaduna to be more confident of themselves. Don’t think that you can only be wives and mothers, you can be Commissioners, you can be Head of Service, you can be Attorney General, you can be Deputy Governor, you can even be governor if you work hard at it.
el-Rufai praised all members of the State Executive Council for working very hard and for consistently supporting every programme that will empower the less privileged, especially ‘’ those that really need the help of government to stand and climb the ladder.’’
