Key Points
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Jigawa prioritizes women empowerment in its growth agenda.
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Partnerships aim to expand social and economic programs.
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Empowered women can drive poverty reduction statewide.
The Jigawa State government has said again that it wants to give women more power. It has also asked local and international partners to help expand programs that will make life better for vulnerable groups in the state.
At a stakeholders’ forum on social investment in Dutse, Governor Umar Namadi said that empowering women is a “non-negotiable pillar” of his administration’s 12-point agenda. He said that targeted investments in women will not only help the state, which has more than six million people, get out of poverty, but they will also help it grow in the long term.
Jigawa puts more emphasis on empowering women
The National Bureau of Statistics says that Jigawa is one of the states in Nigeria with the highest rates of poverty. About 70% of the people who live there are below the poverty line. Women, especially those who live in rural areas like Hadejia, Kazaure, and Gumel, have the hardest time getting an education, getting health care, and taking part in the economy.
“More than 60% of our women don’t have access to the resources they need to succeed. Namadi told delegates from UN Women, ActionAid Nigeria, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation that “that is why we are prioritizing partnerships to scale up training, microfinance, and literacy initiatives.”
Partnerships help Jigawa grow in a way that includes everyone
According to a report by the Punch news, Hadiza Ibrahim, the governor’s senior special assistant on social investment, said that the state is in talks with the World Bank to expand the Nigeria for Women Project, which already helps small cooperatives in 15 states. The African Development Bank is also helping Jigawa with technical support for women’s agricultural businesses.
Private companies could also get involved. The state government has started talking to microfinance institutions and agribusiness companies, like Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc, about how to include women farmers in value chains. Ibrahim said, “Working together between the public and private sectors will be important for unlocking women’s economic potential.”
Women getting more power as a way to fight poverty
Leaders in the community have said they are cautiously hopeful. Aminu Sule, a traditional leader in Dutse, said that social norms still limit women in some local councils, but programs supported by trustworthy partners could change people’s minds. He said, “If women are given chances, everyone in the community benefits.”
Analysts say that Jigawa’s renewed focus on empowering women is in line with the federal government’s National Social Investment Program and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. The state wants to lower poverty rates, improve child welfare, and make local economies more resilient by focusing on women’s education, health care, and business ownership.
