The Women Empowerment and Free School Feeding Schemes of the Kano State government kicked off on Friday in Kano with the chairman of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, donating a sum of N600 million towards the empowerment programme.Also, the business mogul promised to build a 500-student capacity for the Kano State University.The Women Empowerment and the Free School Feeding programmes are key components of the Poverty Eradication Agenda of the state government.Speaking at the ceremony held at the Sani Abacha Stadium, Dangote said the donation, under the auspices of the Dangote Foundation, was to complement the state government's efforts at reducing poverty to the bearest minimum especially among women.He stated that, 'we are here to support government's poverty eradication efforts with a targeted grant of N600 million.'The grant is earmarked to support 25,000 women across Kano state's 44 local government. We have chosen to partner with Kano State government 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 farmland that they keep the family, the community going.''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.Kano's hard working and enterprising women engage in- fattening of animals, ground-nut oil production, and trading etc.'From experience in Kano and elsewhere we believe these small grants will improve the women's businesses and the well being of their families and communities.'This is one of the goals of Dangote Foundation's Community Development Services.The women who will be reached through the Community Re-orientation Committee in each of the local government have already be selected through a thorough process of assessment to by a joint Kano State Government and Dangote Foundation.'The grant is being channeled through the recently introduced Kano State Poverty Reduction Trust Fund which provides a transparent, broad and flexible mechanism through which stakeholders can participate and ensure government's timely response to its citizens.'Dangote Foundation would like to send our best wishes to the women who will benefit from our grant and indeed from other government initiatives. It is their efforts and business success that will strengthen family and community bonds that are needed to transform this great state and this great country.The State governor, Engr Rabiu Kwankwaso thanked Alhaji Dangote for the good gesture and expressed the state government's appreciation for the fund.He explained that an arrangem$net was on ground to ensure that not only the right women from the grassroot benefit from the scheme but that the fund is judiciously utilized when requited and necessary.CBN governor also commended Alhaji Dangote for using his means to improve the lot of Nigerians adding that very few Nigerians could undertake to assist government over an issue that has no business interest.
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