By Chiangi Avese, Makurdi
In Benue State, 27,600 women will benefit from the Bank of Agriculture (BOA) grant and other soft loans as part of efforts to empower women in the state to be self-reliant.
The Benue State Commissioner for Cooperatives and Rural Development, Mrs. Joy Luga, who made the disclosure on Monday in Makurdi said, Gov. Hyacinth Alia has been pushing to ensure that women receive all support to excel.
According to the Hon Commissioner, “the inclusion of rural women in government plans was in line with the Governor’s Strategic Development Plan and message of the 2024 International Women’s Day”.
The Commissioner explained that the Ministry had commenced training of women in skills such as fashion/hair designing, beads making, beauty and cosmetics, soap, detergent making, ICT after which soft loans, ranging from One Hundred Thousand to Two Hundred Thousand Naira will be given to each trainee.
“The ministry of cooperatives and rural development have mapped out modalities on how to empower the women in the 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 that they can stand and say they are living better than they were before”.
The Commissioner said, “His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Benue State, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia, is not relenting, and has ensured that money is made available to be disbursed to the women.”
She further stated that the training and empowerment schemes are not only for women, but also men interested in advancing their socio-economic status. The training and empowerment for men would be done at the appropriate time.
“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.
The commissioner said the essence of training the women is to ensure that they make proper use of the loans, so as to become more useful to their families and immediate communities.
