By Ali Rabiu Ali, Dutse
No fewer than 28 entrepreneurs in Jigawa State have received start-up grants of N2 million each following the completion of a three-day entrepreneurship and business development training organised under the Nana Halima Empowerment Initiative.
Speaking at the closing ceremony, the founder of the initiative, Nana Halima, said the programme was designed to equip young entrepreneurs with practical business skills and provide financial support to help them establish and expand their enterprises.
She said the beneficiaries were carefully selected to become drivers of economic growth, job creation and community development across the state.
According to her, the grants are not merely financial assistance but a responsibility that requires discipline, integrity and dedication to ensure sustainable business growth.
“I see in these beneficiaries not just recipients of support but innovators, future employers and agents of positive change. Lasting success comes from solving problems, creating value and remaining committed even in difficult times,” she said.
Nana Halima said empowering people, particularly young entrepreneurs and vulnerable groups, remains at the core of the initiative’s mission, noting that improving individual livelihoods ultimately strengthens families and communities.
She highlighted some of the intervention programmes already undertaken by the initiative, including entrepreneurship training and start-up kits for 150 makeup artists, support for 85 vesicovaginal fistula (VVF) patients in Jahun, renovation of hostel blocks at Federal Government College, Kiyawa, donation of learning materials to 750 school pupils, and the distribution of Ramadan and Eid food items to vulnerable households.
She expressed appreciation to facilitators, development partners and other stakeholders who contributed to the success of the training programme, urging the beneficiaries to make prudent use of the grants to build sustainable businesses.
The empowerment programme is part of the initiative’s broader efforts to promote entrepreneurship, reduce unemployment and improve livelihoods in Jigawa State through skills acquisition and targeted financial support.
