The Benue State government, in collaboration with the Bank of Agriculture (BOA), is set to empower 27,600 women across the state with loans and grants.
This was disclosed by the Commissioner for Cooperatives and Rural Development, Mrs. Joy Luga, in Makurdi.
According to her, the initiative, a collaboration between the state government and BOA, is targeted at empowering women in the state to become self-reliant.
Appreciating Governor Hyacinth Alia for making funds available for the initiative, she said the inclusion of women, especially those in rural areas, aligns with the governor’s strategic development plan.
The commissioner further disclosed that the Ministry of Cooperatives and Rural Development had commenced training women in skill acquisition in different areas. After completing the training, soft loans and grants of between N100,000 and N200,000 would be given to the beneficiaries to start their businesses.
She said: “At our own level here in the Ministry of Cooperatives and Rural Development, we have mapped out modalities to empower women. We have trained women in cooperatives and associations to give them soft loans as a start-up that we hope will lift them out of poverty.”