Katsina women get a new route to business capital as more than 40,000 beneficiaries prepare to receive support. Vice President Kashim Shettima flagged off Community Investment Fund disbursement under the Nigeria for Women Programme Scale-Up Project.
Shettima disclosed the planned support on Sunday at the Muhammadu Dikko Stadium in Katsina State. He said the women met eligibility requirements and performed satisfactorily in savings and group activities.
Katsina Women Get Capital Alongside Training
The Nation’s report describes the fund as combining capital with training, savings, lending and financial literacy. Shettima said Women Affinity Groups would also provide access to productive resources.
He argued that limited finance continues to constrain women entrepreneurs. Small enterprises, he said, should not be mistaken for small ambitions.
“We should never confuse a small business with a small aspiration,” Shettima said. He argued that enterprise size often says more about access to finance than entrepreneurial vision.
The intervention joins other women-focused financing initiatives covered by Her Forward. Related reporting examines finance and training in Afghanistan and women entrepreneurs’ financing needs in Romania.
Financial Records And Group Discipline
Shettima said Katsina women receiving support need to understand borrowing terms and maintain proper financial records. He also stressed knowledge needed to manage businesses sustainably.
“Money needs knowledge and organisation to produce lasting results,” he said. His remarks connected access to funds with informed decisions about transactions.
Shettima urged Katsina women benefiting from the programme to preserve the savings discipline that qualified them for the fund. He also asked them to keep records and protect trust within their groups as businesses expand.
Officials administering the programme received a separate warning against favouritism and political interference. Shettima said eligibility must remain the basis for access.
He said every transaction should be properly documented. Beneficiaries, he added, must understand what they receive and how the process works.
Katsina’s Financial Commitment Reaches N8 Billion
Governor Dikko Umaru Radda said the state committed an additional N4 billion to programme implementation. That brings Katsina’s total financial commitment to N8 billion, according to Radda.
The governor said the programme expands women’s economic opportunities while seeking stronger household incomes and improved livelihoods. These are the programme’s stated objectives.
Radda praised the inclusion of women living with hearing impairment and affinity groups established for them. He described that inclusion as one of the programme’s most encouraging developments.
He said his administration would complement the women-focused intervention with similar programmes for men. Radda argued that empowering both would improve household incomes and financial independence.
Support For Women’s Economic Opportunities
World Bank Country Director for Nigeria Matthew Verghis said women already contribute significantly across economic sectors. Closing existing gender gaps, he said, would require deliberate intervention.
He commended the Federal and Katsina State governments for targeted empowerment programmes responding to women’s economic needs. Her Forward also covers Canada’s women’s business funding call.
Verghis urged private sector operators, community leaders and traditional institutions to support expanded economic opportunities for women. Shettima’s instructions leave beneficiaries with concrete tasks: sustain savings discipline, maintain records and protect group trust.
