Nasarawa Traditional Ruler Pledges Support for Women's Economic Empowerment Programme

Timescope news 

The Nigeria for Women Project – Scale-Up (NFWP-SU) Programme has received a strong endorsement from the Emir of Nasarawa, His Royal Highness Alhaji Ibrahim Usman Jibril, who commended the initiative as a vital effort to improve the lives and economic opportunities of women.

The endorsement came during an advocacy visit to the Emir’s palace in Nasarawa Local Government Area by the State Project Coordinator, Hajiya Halima Shittu Yusuf, who led officials from the State and Local Government Project Implementation Units.

The Emir stated that the Nasarawa Emirate Council fully supports the programme, describing it as a timely intervention by the Federal and State Governments. He emphasized that women, as a vulnerable group, deserve targeted support through such people-oriented projects to enhance their livelihoods and overall well-being. He assured the project team of the Council’s commitment to facilitating the programme's successful implementation within the emirate.

In her remarks, Hajiya Halima Shittu Yusuf explained that the NFWP-SU aims to economically empower women through the formation of Women Affinity Groups (WAGs), which enable access to resources, capacity building, and greater financial independence. She noted that the programme is coordinated by the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs in collaboration with state ministries and builds on the success of a pilot phase in six earlier states.

She expressed gratitude to the Emir for his audience and continuous support for the programme’s objectives.

In a related engagement, the project team also met with the leadership of Nasarawa Local Government Council, represented by the Vice Chairman, Hon. Mohammed Hassan Ahmed, who pledged the council’s full partnership for effective local implementation.

Additionally, the team visited several traditional rulers across Udege and Loko Administrative Areas—including the Sarkin Loko, Osu Ajiri, Udege Kasa, Eloyi Kana, Sarkin Ara, and others—all of whom affirmed their communities’ readiness to actively participate.

The visit concluded with sensitisation activities and the recruitment of Ward Facilitators across the local government’s electoral wards.

Stakeholders unanimously pledged their support to the Nasarawa State Government and the NFWP-SU, expressing confidence that the programme will significantly improve the lives of women in the area.