Women deserve economy that rewards their labour, says Shettima

Vice President Kashim Shettima has said Nigeria owes women an economy that allows them to turn their skills and ambitions into sustainable businesses and improved livelihoods.

Shettima spoke on Sunday in Katsina State while flagging off the disbursement of the Community Investment Fund (CIF) under the Nigeria for Women Programme Scale-Up (NFWP-SU), a Federal Government initiative aimed at promoting women’s economic empowerment and financial inclusion.

He said more than 40,000 women in Katsina State were eligible to receive business capital after meeting the programme’s eligibility requirements and demonstrating satisfactory performance in their savings and group activities.

“Our daughters should inherit their mothers’ determination without inheriting every obstacle their mothers endured,” Shettima said.

“We owe these women an economy worthy of their labour. They have carried heavy responsibilities with limited means; their ambition should now have more room to flourish.”

The Vice President said the programme was designed to ensure that women had access not only to finance but also to the knowledge and organisational skills required to build sustainable businesses.

“Money needs knowledge and organisation to produce lasting results,” he said, adding that the initiative links savings and lending to training, financial literacy and access to productive resources.

Shettima urged beneficiaries to maintain proper records, make careful business decisions and preserve trust within their groups.