targets 70, 000 across Nigeria

By Olufemi Oni, Ilorin

No fewer than 200 widows from the Kwara Central and Kwara South Senatorial Districts in Kwara State have benefited from the empowerment programme of the Abubakar Bukola Saraki (ABS) Foundation.

The Foundation also organised a business training workshop for the beneficiaries of the pilot phase of the project held in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, towards enhancing their business proficiency.

ABS Foundation, which is a non-political NGO with a mission to touch the lives of vulnerable people,
focuses on health, education, youth empowerment, sports, and leadership mentoring.

In his address, the Foundation’s Project Director, North Central, Mallam Musa Aliyu, who explained that the beneficiaries were between the age bracket of 25 and 50 years, said there’s plan to “extend the empowerment support to 70,000 widows across Nigeria in the next few years”.

According to the Project Director, the objective is to provide widows with the requisite skills and resources required for sustainable economic independence.

He said: “The Foundation aims to make a remarkable difference in the lives of the widows, having identified some of the challenges confronting them. There’s also a plan to guide and monitor their progress.

“Research has consistently shown that widowhood is not only an emotional loss but also a severe economic and social burden for many women.

“Nigeria is home to an estimated 15 million widows, a significant portion of the global widow population of 258 million. In many cases, these women face discrimination, marginalisation, and exclusion from their communities and even from family support systems.

“Similarly, there is a strong linkage between children dropping out of school, deteriorating health, household indebtedness, and prevalent social issues linked to gender and social discrimination.

“This empowerment project is thus aimed at supporting widows to attain their right to protection, inclusion, and participation in the society where they will have the ability to cater for their needs and sustain their livelihoods.

“This pilot phase covers Enterprise Management Training, Empowerment Component as well as Networking and Knowledge Sharing.”

A resource person, Princess Opeyemi Adegbite, who spoke on the workshop theme, “Business Survival in a Challenged Economy”, stressed the need for entrepreneurs to possess hands-on knowledge in areas such as capital preservation, bookkeeping, and financial management.

Adegbite, an entrepreneurship and agri-business trainer, charged the beneficiaries to improve customer relations, cut costs of production by running business as cooperative, invest in areas of strength and be mindful of selling on credit.

Also speaking, the representative of the National Council for Women Society, Idris Atine Awah, and the Iyaloja General, Market Women Association, Adenike Abdulkareem Lambe, charged the beneficiaries on the need to make judicious use of the grant.

Some of the beneficiaries who spoke with newsmen appreciated the sponsor, Abubakar Bukola Saraki Foundation and promised to make judicious use of the grant.

An elated beneficiary, Mrs Medina Mumini, from Ilorin West, expressed happiness at the financial assistance, saying
the fund would go a long way to promote her provision store and poultry farming.

Madam Shehu Khadijat, from Asa Local Government, who said the training session opened her eyes to the significance of customer relations and management, said:
“My yam flour business has been down for a while now, and reviving it, especially at this present time, has been impossible. But with this grant and the knowledge gained, this is a lifesaver.”

A raw food seller from Ilorin East local government, Ahmed Awahu, lauded the organisers and promised to be present at subsequent events to share her success story.

Another beneficiary from Ilorin South, Margaret Adejumo, appealed to the sponsors to continue to keep in touch with them to prevent many from being distracted, adding that
the financial support would help to stabilise her soap manufacturing business and poultry farming.