The First Lady of Sokoto State, Hajiya Fatima Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto, has charged 300 women beneficiaries of a state-sponsored vocational training scheme to maximize their newly acquired skills and resist the temptation of selling off their start-up equipment and capital grants.
She made the call on Saturday while presiding over the graduation ceremony, presentation of certificates, and empowerment distribution in Sokoto. The beneficiaries completed intensive training across six high-demand artisanal trades: tailoring, knitting, weaving, henna artistry, beadwork, and shoe/bag manufacturing, with 50 women trained per trade.
Highlighting the administration’s substantial financial commitment toward economic self-reliance and women-led micro-enterprises, Dr. Fatima Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto revealed that over N150 million was invested in the empowerment initiative.
The First Lady asserted “The idea is to enable you to start up your business without any delay. The state government has expended over 150 million Naira on this programme, therefore you must live up to expectations,”
To ensure immediate operational readiness, the empowerment package was tailored to the specific needs of each trade:
* *Tailoring & Knitting:* Start-up machinery alongside a N20,000 cash grant for equipment installation and logistics.
* *Shoe & Bag Manufacturing:* N100,000 start-up capital grant per participant.
* *Bead Making, Henna Artistry & Weaving:* N50,000 take-off cash grant per participant.
Dr. Fatima noted that human capital development and youth empowerment remain central to the leadership of Governor Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto. She emphasized that the state’s socio-economic strategy focuses on poverty alleviation, curbing unemployment, and driving grassroots wealth creation across all 244 political wards of Sokoto State.
The First Lady further contextualized the event within broader state and federal interventions. She highlighted cross-ministry collaborations across the Ministries of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Humanitarian Affairs, and Women and Children Affairs, as well as capital support provided under the *Ahmadu-CARES* scheme. Additionally, she acknowledged the impact of social welfare and food security interventions delivered through the *Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI)*, spearheaded by the First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu.
Commending the Governor’s foresight in establishing the dedicated *Ministry of Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development*, Dr. Fatima reiterated that the institutionalization of trade training aligns directly with the administration’s 9-Point Smart Agenda. She urged well-meaning individuals and corporate organizations to complement government efforts through community-level mentorship and support.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Commissioner for Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development, Hon. Abba Muhammad Mu’alledi, commended the beneficiaries for their exemplary discipline and commitment throughout the training period. He reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to delivering market-relevant vocational programs that align with local economy demands.
Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Nana Asmau Abubakar expressed profound gratitude to the Sokoto State Government for the life-changing opportunity, pledging that the graduands would judiciously utilize the machinery and cash grants to establish viable businesses and mentor others within their communities.The colorful ceremony brought together top government officials, traditional rulers, community leaders, and civil society representatives, accompanied by cultural performances from local traditional artists
