Vice President Kashim Shettima has flagged off the disbursement of the Community Investment Fund under the Nigeria for Women Programme Scale-Up (NFWP-SU) in Katsina State, with more than 40,000 women expected to benefit.

The beneficiaries are expected to receive business capital after meeting the programme’s eligibility requirements and demonstrating satisfactory performance in savings and group activities.

Speaking at the flag-off ceremony at Muhammadu Dikko Stadium in Katsina, Shettima said the intervention was designed to improve women’s access to finance, strengthen household incomes and support business development.

The Community Investment Fund provides financing to women organised under Women Affinity Groups (WAGs) to establish or expand businesses and undertake other income-generating activities.

Katsina State Governor Dikko Radda disclosed that the state government had contributed more than ₦4 billion to the programme, with the State Executive Council approving an additional ₦4 billion in September.

He said the state was matching the World Bank’s funding to expand economic opportunities for women across the state.

Radda added that implementation had begun in Katsina, Funtua and Daura local government areas, while the programme had been extended to six additional LGAs. The government plans to expand coverage to the remaining local governments in the state’s 34 LGAs.

The governor urged beneficiaries to invest the funds in viable businesses, maintain proper financial records and continue saving through their groups. He also called on development partners to provide additional financing and technical support.

A World Bank representative, Matthew Verghis, said reducing gender gaps in agriculture, self-employment and wage employment could add $22.9 billion to Nigeria’s economy, equivalent to approximately 5.8 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product.

He disclosed that the $540 million Nigeria for Women Programme Scale-Up was being implemented across 32 states, targeting five million women directly, with millions more expected to benefit indirectly.

The programme is also projected to support the creation of approximately 4.5 million jobs.