Benue State Commissioner for Cooperatives and Rural Development, Mrs Joy Luga, has disclosed that 27,600 women across Benue State will benefit from grants and other soft loans from the Bank of Agriculture, BOA, as part of efforts to empower women in the state to be self-reliant.
Luga disclosed this on Monday in Makurdi as part of the 2024 International Women ‘s Day.
She said that Gov. Hyacinth Alia has been pushing to ensure that women receive all the support they need to excel.
She added that the inclusion of rural women in the government’s plans was in line with the governor’s strategic development plan.
She appreciated the governor for providing funds to be disbursed to women across the state.
According to Luga, the ministry has commenced the training of women in various skills, including fashion and hair designing, beads making, beauty and cosmetics, soap and detergent making, ICT training, etc.
The participants, she said, would get loans ranging from N100,000 to N200,000 after their training.
“At our level here in the Ministry of Cooperatives and Rural Development, we have mapped out modalities on how to empower women in society. We have trained women in cooperatives and associations to give them soft loans that will lift them from the poor level they are, to, at least, a higher level where they can stand and say they are living better than they were before. We have trained them in various areas and we are about to give money to them any moment from now,” she said.
She also stated that the training and empowerment schemes are not only for women but also for men interested in advancing their socio-economic status.
“We are not leaving men out because you cannot talk of a woman without a man. We are their backbone. After disbursing these monies to the women, we are training men in the whole state and we will make sure to reach out to them so that when they are celebrating their men’s day, they will have the ministry of rural development at heart and appreciate us,” she added.
