Rep gives N100m business grants to 1,000 women, youths in Kaduna

National Assembly lawmaker in the House of Representatives, representing Kachia/Kagarko Federal Constituency of Kaduna State, Gabriel Saleh Zock, has provided the sum of N100 million to empower 1,000 women and youths in his constituency as a business grant.

Nine hundred of the women and youths, who were selected from the 22 wards that make up the Federal Constituency, received the sum of N50,000 each, while about 100 others with outstanding business proposals were given between N300,000 to N7,000,000.

Zock, who carried out the constituency empowerment programme in collaboration with the National Productivity Centre, said on Saturday that the gesture was aimed at empowering the women and youths to start or uplift their businesses so that they can be financially independent.

Addressing the beneficiaries in Kachia, the lawmaker urged them to utilise the fund judiciously so that they can become financially independent and also assist others.

“This empowerment grant is in response to the economic situation of the country. We are aware of the challenges of the masses. So, this empowerment is to show that we are with the masses by lifting our constituents, to help them start up businesses and for farmers to get farm inputs, which will assist them to get a better living.

“As a way of ensuring judicious use of the fund, we have collaborated with a microfinance bank which will disburse the fund and monitor it. We are also confident because every beneficiary has proven to us beyond reasonable doubt what they will do with the money.

“We have also, through the microfinance bank, trained the beneficiaries on business management. We are going to monitor their business performance through the microfinance bank.

“Our plan is not to empower people to use the money to feed; we are empowering them to become employers of labour, so that in the nearest future, they can also empower other people. In that way, we will have a better constituency,” he said.

Meanwhile, speaking at the event, Deputy Speaker, Kaduna State House of Assembly, Hon. Henry Danjuma, said the empowerment will go a long way in alleviating poverty in the constituency.

While commending the House of Representatives Member for the gesture, the Deputy Speaker advised the beneficiaries to ensure judicious use of the fund.

One of the beneficiaries, Samuel Umar, expressed appreciation to Zock for the gesture, saying that he would use the fund to buy farm inputs to boost yields of his ginger and maize farm.