Kogi to support women, youths in agric, small scale businesses

Following the alarming rate of unemployment in the country, the Kogi State government has promised to give financial assistance to women and youths across the three senatorial districts of the state for agricultural activities and small scale businesses.

Gabriel Olofu, the state’s commissioner of Commerce and Industry, made the promise at a stakeholders forum on promotion of sustainable income generating activities organised by Solidaridad West Africa in collaboration with Participation Initiative For Behavioural Change in Development, which held recently in Lokoja.

He equally pointed out that women and youths constitute the majority of Nigeria’s productive population, hence the need for their empowerment to boost the ailing economy and food security in the country.

Olofu called on the women and youths wishing to improve on their businesses to approach the Care Unit of the Kogi State Ministry of Commerce and Industry for necessary registration and documentation, noting that the state is blessed with abundant natural resources that could be tapped to empower the people and reduce unemployment.

Presenting her paper titled “Linkages establishment for value chain base/alternative funding access by women and youths” during the stakeholders’ forum, Rekiya Sanni, managing director/ CEO, Kogi State Enterprise Development Agency, stressed the need for government at all levels to continue to embark on sensitization programmes on wealth creation.

She challenged governments to always embrace the process that would encourage women and youths in wealth creation for themselves.

On her part, Halimat Sadiq, executive director, Participation Initiative For Behavioural Change in Development ( PIBCID), expressed the readiness of her organisation in sustaining the campaign child abuse, while promoting gender equality in the society.