Wife of the Niger Governor and Founder of RAiSE Foundation Dr. Amina Bello, has donated over N12 million to 60 women cooperatives in the State.
Bello said that the grant would assist the women in improving the various business ventures of the members of the cooperatives. She said it would also reduce the level of poverty and unemployment among women and youths in the state.
“I encourage women and youths to form cooperatives in order to attract government, partner agencies and NGO’s interested in empowering our people.
“This grant of N200, 000 to each group will make businesses to blossom from the petty stage to medium scale. I assure you of my foundation’s continued support in your economic ventures,” she said.
According to report, the business support was in collaboration with FADAMA programme in the state.
Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Roseline Abara, urged the beneficiaries to judiciously utilise the grant. She said that forming cooperative societies would pave way for support from the government and other organizations.
State Coordinator of FADAMA, Aliyu Kutigi, said the RAiSE foundation should be fully exploited by women for economic emancipation. He said the state FADAMA project targeted about 300 youths for training in agricultural enterprises.
“We have trained 66 youths and empowered them with N6.6 million grants so as to acquire various skills and each of them will be given N100, 000 as take-off grant to start their own.
“This empowerment will help to take youths away from the street and reduce the rate of unemployment in the state”, he added. (NAN)
