(Nigeria) ‘Through the cash transfer, I can now buy grains in cash upfront’

Elizabeth Ezekiel wears many hats. She is a mother, farmer, and small-scale entrepreneur. She is a beneficiary, among the 10,000 reached through the Risk Communications and Community Engagement Project.

Her daily routine involves cooking, doing house chores, then heading to the market where she has a small stall. Prior to becoming a beneficiary of the RCCE project, Elizabeth was hawking farm produce on credit.  Through the project, she received the cash transfer disbursed funds as to start up a small-scale business.

“Before the project, I buy farm produce from wholesalers on credit and sell at the roadside (retail) and then pay back the money once I make some small profit. I now have a shop and don’t need to collect grains on credit, the cash transfer has enabled me to buy it in cash up front, and I am grateful for that”, she said.

The 55-year-old mother of five mentioned she sometimes there’s low customer patronage, but despite the challenges, she can make income to support her family.

Elizabeth currently has opened a bank account which enables her transact business, receive money from her children and save for her future. She hopes that her farm yields more and business grows in order to scale up and sell more farm produce. In her words, “I am grateful for the project but would love to have additional support as the cost of grains is skyrocketing by the day. If I can get more money, I can invest more back into my business.”

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, Akwa Ibom, 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.