Katsina State Governor, Dikko Radda, has announced plans to expand the Nigeria for Women Programme Scale-Up (NFWP-SU) to all 34 local government areas of the state after the initiative empowered more than 57,000 women across its three pilot councils.
Radda made the announcement in a statement issued on Friday after meeting beneficiaries of the programme in Daura, where he assessed its impact on women’s livelihoods and businesses.
The World Bank-supported initiative, implemented by the Federal Government in collaboration with participating states, aims to improve women’s economic well-being through savings groups, financial inclusion, enterprise support and other income-generating opportunities.
According to the governor, the programme has recorded notable success in Katsina, Daura and Funtua local government areas, with beneficiaries forming savings groups, expanding their businesses and collectively saving more than N349 million through regular contributions.
He disclosed that about 19,000 women in Daura alone are participating in 765 affinity groups, describing their commitment and discipline as evidence that women can make significant contributions to economic development when given the necessary support.
Radda described women’s economic empowerment as a strategic investment that benefits families, communities and the wider economy.
He noted that increasing women’s access to economic opportunities helps improve household stability, children’s welfare and long-term community development.
The governor said the achievements recorded so far had strengthened his administration’s commitment to the programme, noting that the state government had already provided N4 billion as counterpart funding to support its implementation.
Encouraged by the results, he announced that the initiative would be expanded statewide to give more women access to financial support and business development opportunities.
Radda also revealed that the state government is considering introducing a similar economic empowerment programme for men to complement existing interventions and improve household incomes across the state.
He commended the women participating in the programme for their dedication and also acknowledged the contributions of development partners, facilitators and other stakeholders who have supported its implementation.
The governor expressed confidence that expanding the programme would further strengthen economic inclusion and contribute to the state’s overall development.
