During the assessment of Nigeria for Women Project NFWP on March 6, 2024, a combined team of two women, an anchor and advisor from the Niger State Nigeria for Women Project, a media team, and a social behavioural change campaign consultant, Aries Concept, represented by its communication and knowledge management officer, Triumph Ekhosayator, assessed, evaluated, and analysed the Gurara Local Government Area's Women Affinity Collectives in Tufa, Izom, and Diko wards with Kwaka District, Suleja Emirate of Niger State.
In Tufa Ward, the team assessed the Women Affinity Collectives on rice processing and marketing, where the Women Collective iterated that the Collective has accessed the sum of 60 thousand Naira from each beneficiary that formed the Affinity Collective. The grant provided by the NFWP is geared towards ensuring women's capacity and empowerment are enhanced and improved upon. Amina Kabiru, one of the beneficiaries of the Affinity Collective, noted that the WAC has afforded them the opportunity to network and explore markets for their processed rice, adding that the Collective has branded its rice through bagging and packaging as Tufa Rice Processing and Marketing Collective. The Women Affinity Collective in Tufa presently has earmarked land for the construction of a modern rice milling and processing plant. Moving to Izom ward, in Gurara Local Government Area, the experience is quite similar but with distinct differences on the Women Affinity Groups WAG initiatives. The Izom Women Rice Project was propelled towards improving the livelihood of women to empower themselves through the purchase and processing of rice for economic value. The impact of the economic value on the Women Collective has tripled down to their standard of living and empowerment development. Hajiya Balkisu, the Women Chairperson for Izom, said the WAG is a window to exploit women's economic drive in society.
Going to Diko ward, all in Gurara Local Government Area, the story is not different, but with peculiar approach and experience sharing, Esther Michael, an individual woman beneficiary in Diko town, stated that initially, as a small business owner, the 60 thousand Naira grant from Nigeria for Women Project NFWP has expanded her business opportunities that afford her to errect a shop, went into provisional sales, and provided refreshments, saying her individual collective is a diversification and part of the larger Women Affinity Groups WAG in Diko.
Speaking during the assessment interface with the Traditional Institution in Gurara Local Government Area of Suleja Emirate, the District Head of Kwaka, Alhaji Musa Sulaiman Ijah, posited that setting up the Nigeria for Women Project NFWP Affinity Groups in his domain was not a small task to accomplish in a short time frame, saying the initial take-off of the Women Project in his district was to empower, build capacity, and improve the lives of the women within the district, noting that the Women Affinity Groups WAG has taken the women to another level of socioeconomic emancipation of women across the intervention locations.
Giving insight, Niger State Nigeria for Women Project NFWP Coordinator, Mohammed Sarki Bello, confirmed that the Nigeria for Women Project NFWP is a pilot scheme project in the three local government areas of Agaie, Gurara, and Wushishi, noting that the project is to improve the livelihood of women in the state. Adding to that, the strategic operation of the project is to create women affinity groups and social habits in order to give women a sense of belonging, earnings, and income for their living.
He said the project frowned at unethical female businesses such as prostitution, the sale of charcoal, and other illegal ventures. Sarki Bello added that the achievements of the project in Niger State are greatly impactful through weekly meetings for training in financial inclusion, financial education, and gender-based skills. The NFWP Coordinator affirmed that currently the state has intervened on 75,554 women, forming a total of 3,601 women affinity groups (WAG), with Agaie having a total of 30,115 women, Gurara with 23,315 women, and Wushishi with a total of 22,000 women.
The Niger State Ministry of Information and Strategy is the state mouthpiece for information dissemination and strategic communication.