144 Benue women benefit from FG social interventions in Benue

144 Benue women benefit from FG social interventions in Benue

The Federal Government, through the Renewed Hope Social Impact Interventions/Empowerment of Widows and Survivors of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SBGV), has empowered 144 women in Benue.

Mrs Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, Minister of Women Affairs, who inaugurated the interventions on Saturday in Makurdi, said that President Bola Tinubu was committed to the welfare of Nigerians, particularly women.

Sulaiman-Ibrahim said 20 women would get N1 million each through the Social Impact Initiative of the Renewed Hope Agenda under the Women Agro-Value Expansion (WAVE) programme for smallholder farmers.

The minister stated that the gesture was to boost their farming activities and increase their income to make them self-reliant.

She said that 100 other indigent women would receive N50,000 grant to scale up their businesses.

According to her, 24 victims of SBGV in Benue would also receive support to heal and establish their businesses.

She added that through the ministry’s collaboration with the Nigeria Custom Service, they were also donating 400 bags of rice, 200 wrappers, 10 bales of clothes, four grinding machines and four sewing machines to beneficiaries.

Suleiman-Ibrahim said the government was also planning to establish a women’s economic village in Makurdi, the state capital, as part of her efforts to support women in the state.

The minister regretted that 26 years after the current republic, women still face systematic barriers in the country.

“About 26 years after this present republic, women still face political challenges in Nigeria. The representation is still very low. We are going to rise above our political challenges.

“Economically we still face challenges too; women cannot own land in some communities, even with their hard work.

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“Today in Nigeria we have more female-headed households than male-headed households,” she said.

In his remarks, Gov. Hyacinth Alia commended President Tinubu and his wife for their overwhelming support for the Benue women.

Represented by his deputy, Dr Sam Ode, Alia said his administration has approved land for women farming across the 23 local governments in the state.

The Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Theresa Ikwue, commended Sen. Oluremi Tinubu for her endless love and support for Benue women.

Ikwue also commended the minister for supporting the Nigerian women to regain their lost dignity.

In her remarks, Special Adviser to the Governor on Women Affairs, Ms Scholastica Ben-Sor, commended the minister for always showing Benue women love.

Ben-Sor said the minister’s commitment to the welfare of women in Nigeria was second to none, adding that she was in the state not just to enquire about their welfare but to empower them.