500 Persons Receive N75m Start-Up Capital in Sokoto.

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Sokoto State Governor, Dr. Ahmed Aliyu, has distributed N75 million as start-up capital to 500 beneficiaries across four local councils: Sabon Birni, Illela, Kware, and Gwadabawa. Each beneficiary received N150,000 to support their economic empowerment and independence.

Governor Aliyu emphasized that the gesture aims to ensure communities are fully empowered, particularly in areas affected by bandit activities that have crippled economic activities and worsened insecurity. 

“It is ardent belief that this support would help greatly in our job creation strategy, reduce idleness and restiveness, and assist in our quest to secure our frontline councils,” he said.

“Available statistics have shown that many of our rural dwellers ventured into the obnoxious informants’ syndrome because of the peanuts they receive from the bandits each time a ransom was paid. “This goes to glaringly prove the popular adage that an idle mind is the devil’s workshop,” he added.

Aliyu noted that the distribution is an extension of the myriad of intervention programs his administration had introduced in order to fight poverty, reduce youth restiveness and idleness, and create wealth among the people of the state. 

“We therefore decided to embark on this program to make our rural communities more economically stable, especially those displaced or crippled by the activities of bandits and other forms of criminality in the state,” the governor said.

He added that his administration had disbursed billions of Naira in providing financial support to the needy, the vulnerable, as well as women and youths through the NG-Cares and SOSMEDA, in an attempt to make them economically stable.

In addition to the start-up capital, the state government also distributed farm inputs to 300 beneficiaries from the Illela local government. These inputs included improved seeds, pesticides, fertilizers, sprayers, and thrashers. Governor Aliyu explained that this support is part of efforts to make the agricultural sector attractive and boost food production. 

“We have distributed hundreds of grinding, tailoring, and knitting machines, as well as supported our women on soap, pomade, and perfume making, with a view to making them gainfully employed,” Gov. Aliyu added.

Other dignitaries, including the representative of the Sultan of Sokoto and the UNDP representative, commended the state government for the initiative. Lirwanu Bello, representative of the Sultan of Sokoto, praised the state government for the program aimed at reducing unemployment and poverty. 

Nuraddeen Bashar Saleh, UNDP representative, called on the beneficiaries to judiciously utilize the cash and tools given to them to boost their living conditions. He praised Gov. Aliyu for the two programs and many others his administration is undertaking to bring meaningful development to the state, thereby creating job opportunities.

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