Dangote Foundation Doles Out N3.9b Microgrants To 294,490 Women, Youths

Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF) management says it has so far disbursed a total of N3.924bn to 392,490 women and youths in Kano, Jigawa, Kogi, Adamawa, Borno, Yobe, Lagos, Niger, Nasarawa, Sokoto, and Katsina state as part of its microgrant programme 

The Foundation says it plans to extend the disbursement to Ogun, Osun, Kwara, Edo, Rivers, Anambra, Ebonyi and Bauchi states as part of the next phase of this programme.   

According to a breakdown of the disbursement, N880m was distributed to  88,000 women in Kano State; while 27,000 women got N270m in Jagawa state; 22,000 women went home with N220m in Kogi State; while 31,500 women and youth received N315m in Adamawa.

Furthermore, in Borno State, N540m was shared among 54,000 Women and youth; 40,000 women received N400m in Lagos; 25,000 women received N250m in Niger; 13,000 got N130m in Nassarawa; just as 23,990 women benefitted from the sum of N239.9m; among others.

According to the foundation, in some States, mobile phones and bank cards to start up or improve their income generating activities were added to the grants as a delivery mechanism for the funds in partnership with the respective State and Local Governments and mobile money/bank operators.   

The Managing Director/Chief Executive of ADF, Zouera Youssoufou said the board has already approved the next phase of disbursement of the grants across Ogun, Osun, Kwara, Edo, Rivers, Anambra, Ebonyi and Bauchi states.   

She described the Micro-grant programme as a N10bn programme designed to provide a N10,000 one-off grant to at least 1,000 vulnerable women, and in some cases, youths, in each of the 774 LGAs across Nigeria.   

She said that the programme is being implemented in partnership with State governments who work with committees set up down to the ward levels for ensuring the appropriate beneficiaries are reached. 

Youssoufou said the scheme provides recipients with a one-time, unconditional N10,000.00 cash grant to meet immediate household consumption and economic needs.   

“As far as possible, participants also receive training tailored to bolster their income-generating activities which are critical for the welfare of millions of Nigerians. Beneficiaries of this programme are evenly selected from the target communities with primary consideration for vulnerable women, food distressed household with infant or children under-five year old, disabled, divorcees, widows with multiple dependents, and extremely poor residents in these communities”, she said.   

Recall that the Programme is implemented to complement the economic empowerment and poverty reduction drive across various states, with each stat governor tasked with setting up a committee to oversee the implementation of the programme alongside Aliko Dangote Foundation staff. 

Since 2016, the Foundation automated the beneficiary enrolment and payment processes.

In addition to the cash grants, beneficiaries were also given mobile phones and SIM cards by the Foundation.

In the last two states, the scheme was implemented, the Foundation partnered with a leading commercial bank to open bank accounts and provide ATM cards for each beneficiary. 

Photo caption: 2018 PhotoAliko Dangote Foundation making disbursements in Niger on May 18, 2018.

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