Former Speaker of the Kogi State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Imam Ahmad Umar, has empowered 120 women in Lokoja Local Government Area with N6 million cash grants to support their businesses and improve their livelihoods.
The empowerment programme, held in Lokoja, drew participants from the 10 wards of the local government, with each beneficiary receiving N50,000.
Speaking at the event, Umar said the initiative was aimed at supporting women at the grassroots and giving them the means to engage in viable businesses and other income-generating activities.
He thanked the beneficiaries for their continued support for the administration of Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, stressing the importance of women to the success of government programmes.
Umar explained that the beneficiaries were randomly selected across the 10 wards to provide more women with opportunities to benefit from the scheme.
He emphasised the importance of women in politics, stressing that their participation remains crucial to the success of any administration.
The former speaker disclosed that similar empowerment programmes would be extended to youths and the elderly as part of efforts to promote inclusive development and improve welfare of citizens.
He added that the initiative was also aimed at sensitising residents on the need to support government policies and programmes at the federal and state levels, particularly the administrations of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Ododo ahead of 2027 general elections.
He urged the beneficiaries to invest the grants wisely in businesses that could generate income and improve their standard of living.
Former Commissioner for Women Affairs, Hajiya Fatimat Buba, commended Umar for the initiative, saying it would strengthen women’s economic activities at the grassroots.
Fatimat urged political appointees and other stakeholders to introduce similar programmes to complement government efforts to improve the welfare of citizens.
The Executive Chairman of Lokoja Local Government Area, Abdullahi Adamu, said Umar had sustained his commitment to supporting members of the community for about 20 years.
Adamu said the latest intervention could encourage women to participate actively in elections without resorting to vote-buying or other forms of inducement.
One of the beneficiaries, Zainab Alefe, thanked Umar for the support, saying the grant would enable her to start a business and improve her livelihood.
Other beneficiaries also expressed appreciation, saying the assistance would help them strengthen their businesses and improve their economic independence.
