Kano State has played host to the launch of a nationwide women and youth empowerment initiative, targeting up to one million beneficiaries across Nigeria, floated by Queen Juliet Endowment Foundation, in partnership with Folasade Tinubu-Ojo, the daughter of President Bola Tinubu.
As part of Kano rollout, the foundation provided start-up equipment to a total of 500 women, trained in various vocational skills to enable them to start economic activities that will make them self-reliant.
The items distributed to the beneficiaries during the occasion include sewing machines, grinding machines, hairdressing kits, soap-making tools and bead-making equipment
Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the event, Juliet Uju-Obiaeli, Founder of the Queen Juliet Foundation, described the event held in the state, as the starting point of a broader intervention aimed at strengthening livelihoods in rural communities and expanding access to skills acquisition and digital literacy.
According to her, the programme was designed to align with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda, noting that the initiative had received backing of key stakeholders at both national and subnational levels, including the Kano State Government.
She noted that the initiative, which is geared at empowering women, in particular, and vulnerable Nigerians, is also being supported by private sector partners and international organisations, including the International Peace Commission, as well as the United Nations.
Uju-Obiaeli said the foundation had empowered at least 3,000 women and youths across Kano State in phases, with additional batches expected to be completed on or before Ramadan, or shortly after. The beneficiaries are drawn largely from rural communities across the state’s local government areas.
Beyond vocational skills, the programme also places emphasis on youth development through digital literacy training, aimed at improving computer skills and expanding access to modern employment opportunities.
Calling for stronger collaboration, the foundation appealed to government agencies, corporate organisations and individuals to partner with the initiative, stressing that large-scale empowerment cannot be sustained by NGOs alone.
While no fixed budget has been attached to the programme, Uju-Obiaeli explained that its scope would expand in line with available support, noting that the one-million target could be exceeded if additional resources are mobilised.
She added that empowering women and youths at scale would create a multiplier effect across communities, contributing to long-term economic stability and social development nationwide.
Addressing the gathering, Fatima Sagir Mohammed, Chairperson of the Kano Chapter of Iyaloja Foundation, who represented Folashade Tinubu -Ojo, expressed delight that the empowerment programme is impacting Nigerian women.
The Kano launch attracted women drawn from across the 44 Local Government Areas of the State, attracted the Kano state government, as well as a large collection of members of the kano business Community
