Nigeria For Women Project, NFWP, is on the march to transform the socio- economic well being of rural women as well as enhance their social bonding.
NFWP is a well articulated programme, initiated by Federal Republic of Nigeria, supported by the World Bank and being implemented by Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and six State Governments in Nigeria. The benefitting states are; Abia, Akwa Ibom, Kebbi, Niger, Ogun and Taraba.
A team of journalists on a 2 day media workshop organized by NFWP in Abuja made a fact finding visit to Tufa Kampane Community in Guatara Local Government Area of Niger State.
The findings of the journalists showed that NFWP is indeed turning around the socio- economic fortunes so hard to reach rural women as well as enhancing their social security and bonding.
The visiting journalists saw how the women freely conducted their Woman Affinity Group, WAG, meeting.
They noticed they were 25 women, aged from 18 years and above.
The WAG group self selected themselves.
The journalists observed the women paid their social fund and thereafter saving schemes.
It should be reported that all transactions were openly done, recorded and stamped by appropriate woman.
The most interesting part remains, all income generated was kept in the money box that has 3 keys, kept by 3 different women.
During the interactive session with journalists, the women affirmed that in the past, those that sale in “mudu”, as of today are now selling rice in bags.
They revealed that access to loan from their saving schemes was the force behind their success story.
Again, their constant interaction through NFWP capacity building and meetings has tremendously enhanced the social bonding among themselves.
The Chair person of lyiyadelo WAG meeting, Mrs Victoria Ibrahim, Allahnani Simon, among others confirmed the success story with their own mouth.
In her own contribution, the National Project Coordinator of NFWP, Ruth Peter Mshelia, seized the opportunity to disclosed that 54,000 women are expected to benefit from NFWP in each participating State.
She, therefore, urged the media to let the watching, listening and reading publics know what NFWP is doing to transform the story of the rural women in our country.
Meanwhile, in a few days time, #52.5 million naira grant would be paid to rural women in Niger State. A maximum of #60,000 naira would be paid to each benefitting member of WAG.
