Dangote disburses N400m to disadvantaged Lagos women

To cushion the effect of the current economic downturn, the Dangote Foundation has commenced the disbursement of N400 million micro grant to 40,000 indigent women in all the local governments of Lagos State.
The disbursement held at the Conference Hall of Lagos House, Ikeja, is a continuation of grassroots poverty alleviation strategy of the foundation set up by the business mogul, Aliko Dangote, in 1993. The programme is costing the foundation a sum of N10 billion and six states have so far benefitted.
The empowerment programme, meant to complement government’s efforts at all levels, is targeted at the disadvantaged and vulnerable women and youths with a one-off N10,000 cash transfer to boost household income generation. Dangote, the Chairman of the foundation, had expressed concern over widespread poverty among the people especially the youths and women at the grassroots and promised that his organisation would institute a scheme that would help in addressing the menace.
Consequently, the Dangote Foundation came up with a micro grant scheme aimed at empowering the grassroots dwellers with funds to help them undertake petty trading to lift their economy.
Already, 256,500 women in states such as Kano, Jigawa, Kogi, Adamawa, Borno and Yobe have benefited from the scheme that is expected to move round all the 774 local government areas across the nation.
However, for the first time since the programme started, the beneficiaries in Lagos are also to be given hand held mobile devices through Airtel Telecommunication, while disbursement would be via electronic payment platforms.
The programme, according to Dangote, is to cover at least 1,000 women in each of the 774 local governments in a bid to assist the Federal Government in the onerous task of poverty reduction by equipping the vulnerable women with some money to help them start a trade to improve family life. However, the number of beneficiaries in Lagos has been doubled in each local government in other to reach out to a larger population of women.
“We have chosen to partner state governments to support women because in Nigeria, as in other developing countries, they bear the burden of poverty. And it is through their economic activities from the home, the market place or the farmlands that they keep the family and the community going, meeting basic needs.
“Our research at Dangote Foundation shows that just a little push can help establish, sustain or grow several types of economic activities by our women. We believe these small grants will improve the women’s businesses and the wellbeing of their families and communities.
“This is one of the goals of Dangote Foundation’s Community Development Services,” he stated.