The Federal Government Friday flagged off the payment of the Beneficiaries of Nigeria For Women Project, NFWP in Abia State.
According to Minister for Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen, “a total of 642 women beneficiaries from Isiala-Ngwa North, Ohafia and Obingwa LGAs will be receiving payments”.
Represented by her Director, Planning, Research and Statistics, Dr. Olusa Joseph the minister disclosed that “as at 9th of March, 2022, the entire project has a total of 11,305 Women Affinity Groups, (WAGs) nationwide with a total membership of 240,717 women”.
According to her, Abia state has a total of 2,268 WAGs with a population of 49,920 women members, while a total of 32,262 business plans have been approved and cleared for payment as disbursement will continue until all have been cleared.
Federal Government, she said “has taken bold measures to request support from the World Bank to empower women and improve access to the finance through livelihood grants to enable women meet specific life cycle needs”.
In her speech, the National Project Coordinator, NFWP Mrs. Ruth Peter Mshelia said the project is an initiative of Federal Ministry of Women Affairs in collaboration with the World Bank “to profer solutions to financial challenges facing rural women and at the same time, providing the necessary capacity to help them for better livelihood”.
She said that based on the success story, ” the (Abia) state was given approval for individual livelihood grants disbursement to 1,623 beneficiaries”.
Earlier in her welcome address, the state Commisisoner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Deac. Nna Rose Urenta noted that the project was established in five statesof Abia, Ogun, Taraba, Niger and Kebbi and later, Akwa Ibom when Eddo withdrew.
In her speech, the Executive Secretary, Abia State Planning Commission, Dr. Mrs. Nnenna Chikezie said the project is aimed at upgrading the livelihood of the women as they have been taught how to do many things to support themselves, adding “the pact and confidence the ptogrme is building is enormous”.
Speaking after flagging off the disbursement, the State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu said the state government is determined and committed to improving the livelihood of women in the state, adding “this underscores the reason for embracing the NFWP with the deserved seriousness manifested by the release/payment if the first and second tranches of counterpart funds for the project”.
I’m mediately afterwards, beneficiaries started receiving their alerts.
