World Bank, Katsina Target 800,000 Women for Empowerment

The World Bank, in partnership with the Katsina State Government, aims to empower 800,000 women across the state's 34 local government areas through the Nigeria for Women Programme Scale-Up (NFWP-SU) initiative. Michael Ilesanmi, the Senior Social Development Specialist at the World Bank and Task Team Leader for the NFWP, announced this on Friday, ahead of the launch of the NFWP-Scale Up (NFWP-SU) Community Investment Fund (CIF) on Sunday.

Ilesanmi revealed that the Katsina State Government has released N8.5 billion in counterpart funding for the programme over the past two years, with further funds earmarked for the 2027 fiscal year. This substantial investment has enabled the World Bank-supported programme to expand its reach from its initial goal of 100,000 women to 800,000 women in the state.

Katsina State is considered a flagship for the Nigerian Women Programme due to its significant commitment. The programme aims to mobilize poor and vulnerable women into Women Affinity Groups (WAGs), providing them with access to financial services, markets, productive assets, skills, and other necessary support to enhance their livelihoods.

The NFWP-SU focuses on financial inclusion through financial literacy, planning, savings mobilization, and partnerships with financial service providers. The state Commissioner for Women Affairs, Aisha Aminu, confirmed that the Community Investment Fund will offer direct financial assistance to 57,432 women in the state, emphasizing that the World Bank-supported initiative is a crucial intervention to strengthen women's economic participation, particularly among disadvantaged households.