(Nigeria) Disbursed funds support small scale women entrepreneurs’ ventures

Every morning, Saraya, a mother of 7 wakes up, prepares a meal for the family, gets her daughter ready for school and then sets off to the market. She sells food produce in the market woman and one of the beneficiaries of the Risk Communications and Community Engagement Project (RCCE) in Bauchi State.

Saraya recalls how she and her family struggled with their livelihood even before the COVID-19 pandemic. According to her, the restrictions due to the pandemic made it more challenging for her to have a sustainable income to support her family. “Life was challenging, even before the restrictions brought about by the Covid19 pandemic. I mostly depend on farming- which relies heavily on the rainy season and changing weather patterns. I also used to hawk some foodstuff along the roads, to make some extra income” Saraya noted.

She received cash transfer through the RCCE project to enable her start-up a small-scale entrepreneurial venture. She said, “Through the cash transfer, I managed to rent a shed for my products, which boosted my groundnut and grain business. With the profit made, I deposit some money into my savings account; and use the rest to reinvest back into the business.”

Saraya makes a profit of around $4 per 500g of groundnuts. She hopes that the payoff will be more if she is supported to buy the grains in bulk. She beams with joy when asked how the project has impacted her family. “Sometimes I used to cook food without oil- now, with profit, I can buy palm oil or vegetable oil to make soups and stews. My family’s diet is tastier and more nutritious as I can now add fish for protein. I am happy and appreciate the money that I received from this project; it has benefitted me and my business in addition to my family.”

UN Women is working in collaboration with government institutions at both Federal and State levels (Federal and State Ministries of women Affairs) National Social Safety Nets Coordinating Unit (NASSCO) and three women led CSOs including the Women’s Wing of Christian Associations in Nigeria (WOWICAN), the Federation of Muslim Women’s Associations in Nigeria (FOMWAN), the Nigeria Girl Guides Association and the United Bank of Africa (UBA),

The partners have joined forces to implement the Risk Communications and Community Engagement Project in 10 States namely Lagos, AkwaIbom, Borno, Bauchi, Ebonyi, Edo, Delta, Sokoto, Gombe, and FCT. Through the project, 10,000 vulnerable women and girls identified as the worst-hit by the socio-economic impact of COVID-19 pandemic are provided with unconditional cash support in the form of palliative. A key element of the intervention is facilitating the leadership role of women and girls in the response and community cohesion as well as ensuring their continuing access to essential services.

The project also aims at financial inclusion for grassroot women who previously had no access to financial services including banking. This is intervention is being funded from the UN Basket funds.