The Wife of the Sokoto State Governor, Hajiya Fatima Ahmed Aliyu, on Friday evening hosted women from across the 23 local government areas of the state to an iftar (breaking of fast) at the Presidential Lodge, Sokoto.
Speaking shortly after the iftar, the Governor’s wife assured the women of the State Government’s continued commitment to supporting them economically, enabling them to contribute meaningfully to the growth and development of the state.
She stated that since the inception of the present administration, the government has supported thousands of women with financial grants through the Sokoto State Microfinance Development Agency (SOSMEDA) programmes.
She said “We have on several occasions empowered our small and medium-scale women entrepreneurs with cash assistance, while others were trained in various skills acquisition programmes to make them economically stable,”.
Hajiya Fatima further explained that groups of women engaged in food processing including rice, millet, soybeans, and beans processing were recently supported with tools and cash assistance to enhance their businesses.
She also disclosed that the Ministry for Women and Children Affairs has trained thousands of women in hairdressing, weaving, tailoring, knitting, pomade and perfume production, bakery, and sewing.
She assured that more of such training programmes would be organised this year to expand opportunities for women across the state.
The Governor’s wife added that the Renewed Hope Initiative of Nigeria’s First Lady has supported hundreds of women and elderly persons in the state with food items and cash assistance to enhance their self-reliance.
On healthcare delivery, she revealed that the government has renovated a number of primary healthcare centres across the state as part of efforts to bring healthcare services closer to the grassroots.
She stressed that pregnant women and children will continue to receive special attention from the State Government, urging women, particularly those in rural areas, to attend antenatal care services in their respective localities.
The government, she added, will also continue to sensitise husbands in rural communities on the importance of allowing their wives to attend antenatal clinics.
On behalf of Governor Ahmed Aliyu, Hajiya Fatima commended women in the state for their continued support for the present administration and appealed to them to sustain the momentum.
Earlier in her remarks, the State Commissioner for Women and Children Affairs, Hajiya Hadiza Shagari, commended the Governor’s wife for the various initiatives introduced to empower women across the state.
She called on women to continue to rally behind the present administration in its efforts to develop Sokoto State.