More than 40,000 women in Katsina State are set to benefit from the Community Investment Fund under the Nigeria for Women Programme Scale-Up Project, following the official commencement of fund disbursement in the state.
Vice President Kashim Shettima flagged off the programme at the Muhammadu Dikko Stadium in Katsina, describing the intervention as an investment in women’s productive capacity rather than simply a cash-distribution initiative.
Eligible beneficiaries are women organised under Women Affinity Groups who have fulfilled prescribed requirements, including participation in savings and group activities. The fund is intended to provide additional capital for women to establish or expand businesses, strengthen household incomes and improve access to financial services.
Shettima said the effectiveness of the programme should ultimately be assessed by its impact on businesses and households, particularly its ability to increase earnings, create employment and strengthen women’s capacity to withstand economic difficulties.
He urged beneficiaries to use the funds responsibly, maintain proper financial records and preserve the savings culture and collective responsibility that qualified them for the intervention. Programme managers were also urged to ensure transparency, fairness and accountability in the disbursement process.
Katsina State Governor Dikko Umar Radda said the state had committed substantial counterpart funding to expand the programme beyond its initial coverage. Earlier in February, the Katsina State Government announced an N8 billion investment to scale up the Nigeria for Women Programme across all 34 local government areas. The state said the funding included an additional N4 billion already committed, alongside another N4 billion appropriated in the 2026 budget.
The programme is supported by the World Bank and operates through Women Affinity Groups, which combine collective savings with access to finance, skills development and productive economic opportunities.The broader Nigeria for Women Programme Scale-Up is being implemented across 32 states, with a target of five million women and an estimated 4.5 million jobs.
The Katsina initiative is therefore positioned as part of a wider effort to strengthen women’s economic participation through access to capital and organised financial support. Its long-term impact will depend on effective disbursement, responsible use of funds, market access, business support and sustained monitoring of beneficiaries.
For Katsina, the immediate challenge will be ensuring that the intervention translates from financial assistance into sustainable enterprises, higher household incomes and greater economic resilience among participating women across the state.
More than 40,000 women in Katsina State are set to benefit from the N8bn Nigeria for Women Programme intervention aimed at expanding businesses, improving household incomes and strengthening financial inclusion.