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Biggest Women Empowerment Drive Yet: Kaduna Sets Aside ₦5 Billion for 10,000 Beneficiaries
The Kaduna State Government has intensified its drive for women’s economic empowerment through a sensitisation workshop aimed at accelerating the implementation of its Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) Policy and Action Plan.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
The event, organised by the Ministry of Human Services and Social Development (MHSSD) in collaboration with Dev‑Afrique Development Advisors, brought together stakeholders from all 23 local government areas, including representatives of key ministries, private‑sector players, civil society organisations, and women leaders.
According to a statement by Dev‑Afrique made available to PUNCH Online on Saturday, the WEE policy—launched in November 2024 by Governor Uba Sani—is designed to remove barriers hindering women’s economic participation, broaden access to resources, and promote inclusive growth across the state.
Speaking during the workshop in Kaduna, the Commissioner for Human Services, Hajiya Rabi Ibrahim, urged more women entrepreneurs to seize the opportunity of the state’s ₦5 billion empowerment grant earmarked for women in cooperatives and business clusters.
“The Ministry intends to disburse funds to women registered under cooperatives or clusters, with a target of 10,000 registrations. However, only 2,000 have registered so far, so we are encouraging more women and entrepreneurs to sign up,” the statement noted.
The WEE initiative, funded by the Gates Foundation through the WEE Catalyst Fund, is being implemented locally by Dev‑Afrique in partnership with the Albright Stonebridge Group.
A panel session at the workshop featured officials from the Ministries of Agriculture, Business Innovation and Technology, and Gender Affairs, who shared sector-specific strategies to enhance inclusion, particularly for rural and marginalised women.
Participants also called for greater sensitisation among traditional and religious leaders and advocated for deliberate policies to include women with disabilities.
In a separate session, the Kaduna State Media Corporation revealed that it had created platforms for women‑focused content but lamented poor stakeholder engagement, urging stronger collaboration with government agencies and civil society groups.
Keystone Bank pledged to support the initiative by simplifying access to bank accounts for women, while Hajia Ramatu Ibrahim, Vice President (Northwest) of the Africa Women Entrepreneurship Cooperative, offered free training to boost business skills and awareness.
Closing the workshop, Mrs. Lami Usman, Director of Gender Affairs at MHSSD, reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to ensuring the WEE Policy translates into tangible results:
“This policy must not remain just a document. It should lead to measurable improvements in women’s livelihoods, business growth, and leadership representation. We urge everyone here to act as ambassadors for women’s economic empowerment across Kaduna State,” she said.
Dev‑Afrique further disclosed that the next phase of implementation will include integrating the policy into ministry operations and deploying designated “policy champions” across sectors to sustain momentum.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has revealed that his push for an opposition coalition was initially rejected by members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
Atiku made the disclosure during an interview on Arise Television on Wednesday, where he reflected on events following the PDP’s defeat in the 2023 presidential election. According to him, he warned party leaders after the election that the PDP could struggle politically without forming alliances with other opposition forces. “To be honest, I was one of the major initiators of this coalition. After the PDP lost the last election, I told the party clearly that I did not see a future for the PDP without a coalition,” he said. Atiku said his advice was rejected at the time, despite his conviction that Nigeria’s political history had shown the importance of alliances. “They disagreed with me then. I have studied Nigeria’s political transition over the years and saw how previous alliances worked, so it was not difficult for me to foresee this,” he stated. The former vice president added that his support for coalition politics was also influenced by his desire to encourage the emergence of younger leaders he believes are vital to Nigeria’s future. “I saw some of these younger politicians as the future leaders of this country, and I felt it was my duty to point that out,” he said. However, Atiku claimed the resistance he encountered within the party was driven more by personal feelings than by disagreement over the substance of his proposal. “They disagreed with me simply because they did not want to see my face, not because of what I was suggesting,” he said. Atiku added that recent political developments have now vindicated his position on the need for a broad opposition alliance ahead of future elections.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has said the African Democratic Congress (ADC) will first pursue a consensus arrangement before considering a primary election for its 2027 presidential ticket.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
Atiku made this known during an interview on Arise Television on Wednesday while discussing the party’s leadership and strategy ahead of the next general election.
He said he is open to backing a consensus candidate if that becomes the party’s collective decision, stressing that such support should not be interpreted as stepping aside.
“It is not about stepping aside, but whether I am willing to support, and yes, I will,” Atiku said.
According to him, the ADC’s first priority is to build internal unity and reach an agreement among stakeholders before considering a competitive primary process.
“Our first option will be to work out a consensus. If that doesn’t happen, then of course we will explore other options. And yes, I will support whoever eventually emerges,” he stated.
Atiku also expressed confidence in the political experience within the party, saying he believes a consensus is achievable and may make a full-scale primary contest unnecessary.
“That remains our preferred path. We will go for primaries if consensus fails, but I honestly do not expect it to get to that stage because we are dealing with mature and experienced politicians,” he added.
His comments come amid growing political consultations and coalition talks as parties begin to position themselves ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has said the opposition coalition under the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has significantly strengthened his chances of winning the 2027 presidential election.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
Atiku made the remarks during an interview on Arise Television’s Prime Time programme on Wednesday. Speaking on what makes his latest presidential bid different from previous attempts, Atiku said the ADC coalition brings together key political figures from across major parties, including the APC, PDP and Labour Party. He described the alliance as a broader and more strategic political arrangement ahead of the 2027 general elections. According to him, the coalition has created a stronger platform that improves his prospects. “Now, we have a broader coalition — a combination of APC, PDP and LP — which gives me a better chance of becoming president in 2027,” he said. Atiku also noted that the coalition reflects both experience and generational inclusion, which he said shows a clear succession plan. “You see people of my generation, and you see younger people coming behind us, so you can clearly see a succession pattern,” he added. Meanwhile, Atiku described former President Goodluck Jonathan as a decent but inexperienced leader. According to him, Jonathan’s lack of experience contributed to shortcomings in governance and played a role in his defeat in the 2015 presidential election. “I know Goodluck Jonathan very well. He is a decent young man, but he was also inexperienced, and that contributed to his failure in managing the affairs of the country,” Atiku said. He made the remarks while stressing the need for experienced and capable leadership in Nigeria.
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