By Francis Sardauna
Miffed by the spate of poverty bedevilling rural women in the country, the federal government has flagged off a special cash grant of N20,000 for 6,800 vulnerable rural women in Katsina State.
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Mrs Sadiya Farouq, who flagged off the disbursement of the funds to the beneficiaries, said the federal government is committed to alleviating the plight of rural women in the country.
She said the social intervention is part of the National Social Investment Programme of the ministry aimed at cushioning the effect of COVID-19 pandemic on the citizenry, particularly the most vulnerable in the country.
The minister called on the beneficiaries to make good use of the opportunity to improve their income and contribute towards improving their living standards in order to be self-reliant.
She said: “A total number of 6,800 beneficiaries are to benefit from the cash grant of N20,000 cash in this state to uplift the socio-economic status of the rural women in Katsina State. And these rural women also include our rural women with disabilities.
“About 209 names of women with disabilities have been received. We have their data and they are going to be giving this support. It is our hope that the beneficiaries of this programme would make good use of this opportunity to improve their income and help their food security and contribute towards improving their living standards.”
She, however, added that the Katsina State government has received a sum of N9.6 billion from the federal government’s condition cash transfer programme since its inception which had impacted positively on the lives of 142,407 poor and vulnerable households in the state.
She noted that 12 local government areas of Bakori, Batagarawa, Baure, Bindawa, Dandume, Ingawa, Kaita, Kankara, Mani, Musawa, Rimi and Dan-Musa are currently benefiting from the social intervention programme.
Earlier, Governor Aminu Bello Masari, represented by his deputy, Mannir Yakubu, assured the federal government that only the targeted beneficiaries would benefit from the humanitarian gesture.
