The First Lady of Sokoto State, Hajiya Fatima Ahmed Aliyu, has flagged off the distribution of cash assistance and food items to women and other vulnerable groups across the state as part of efforts to improve their welfare and ease the impact of economic hardship.
Gatekeepers News reports that speaking during the launch on Saturday, Hajiya Fatima said the intervention was aimed at providing immediate relief to vulnerable households while equipping beneficiaries with startup capital to establish small businesses, become self-reliant and improve their standard of living.
She said the programme forms part of several humanitarian initiatives undertaken by her office to support women, widows, persons living with disabilities and other disadvantaged members of society.
The First Lady noted that since Governor Ahmed Aliyu assumed office, the administration has continued to prioritise the welfare of women and vulnerable groups through various empowerment and social intervention programmes. She added that her office had also implemented similar initiatives under the Renewed Hope Initiative of the First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, to complement efforts aimed at improving the lives of residents.
She commended Senator Oluremi Tinubu for championing humanitarian programmes that provide relief to vulnerable Nigerians, including internally displaced persons, the elderly and persons living with disabilities.
Hajiya Fatima urged beneficiaries to make productive use of the support by investing the cash assistance in income-generating ventures that would improve their livelihoods and strengthen their families. She also assured residents that the administration would continue to implement programmes focused on the welfare of women, children and other vulnerable groups.
In her remarks, the Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Hajiya Asabe Balarabe, described the exercise as another demonstration of the state government’s commitment to improving the lives of vulnerable people through targeted interventions.
Also speaking, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Internally Displaced Persons, Hajiya Maryam Dimas, said the initiative aligned with Governor Ahmed Aliyu’s Nine-Point SMART Agenda, particularly its focus on social protection, poverty reduction and improved welfare for residents. She noted that the intervention would provide relief and restore hope to widows, orphans, the elderly, persons living with disabilities and other vulnerable groups.
The APC North-West Zonal Women Leader, Hajiya Hadiza Alhaji, also praised the First Lady for complementing the Governor’s efforts through humanitarian and women empowerment programmes, expressing confidence that beneficiaries would use the support to improve their businesses and meet their families’ needs.
The event concluded with the official disbursement of cash assistance and distribution of food items to women and vulnerable groups drawn from the 23 local government areas of Sokoto State.
