Niger Govt To Benefit From W/Bank, FG $100m Women Grant

The Niger state government has been selected among six states to benefit from a One hundred dollars women grant for rural areas by the World Bank in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development.

The Commissioner of Women Affairs and Social Development, Barrister Amina Musa Gu’ar disclosed this while addressing journalists in an organized state ‘Stewardship’ by the Ministry of Information and Strategy.

Barrister Gu’ar said that it was due to the state commitment to women programs and the ministry’s participation at the National and International programs, added that three local governments to benefit from the grant that includes; Agaie in Zone A, Shiroro from Zone B and Wushushi from Zone C senatorial districts of the state.

She informed that the ministry under the administration of the All Progressives Congress APC has implemented capital projects worth over N100 million in the last over three years ranging from renovation, construction, fencing and furnishing of structures.

According to her, it has renovated, furnished and constructed three bedroom chalet at the permanent orphanage home Minna at the cost of N83,390,852:75 on going, release of N10 million for N29,558,078:00 fencing of the permanent government remand home Kontagora and in 2015 renovated the vocational training centre for the blind/visual impaired at Ibeto at N4.9million.

The Commissioner stressed to have trained and empowered 8,990 unemployed girls/ women from 2015 to date in the state at the cost of N22,955,545:00 in 2016 and N109,120,350:00 in 2017 while it expended N27,000,000:00 in 2018 respectively.

Meanwhile, in 2017 more than 6,000 households received bimonthly stipends in 11 local governments in error state and another 18 local governments benefited from Conditional Cash Transfer Programme that is ongoing.

She noted that during the period under review the ministry has handled and resolved several cases that including; family cases/counseling of 1,250 cases, 26 forced marriage cases, 320 divorce cases, 22 early marriage cases, 820 juvenile delinquency cases, 380 school truancy cases, 452 burial of unrecognized persons and many others as part of its social services.