By Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed of Bauchi State has disclosed that over 16,000 women and youths across 10 Local Government Areas have benefited from entrepreneurship and economic empowerment interventions through a partnership between Global Affairs Canada (GAC), UNICEF and the state government. The benefiting LGAs include Bauchi, Dass, Katagum, Warji, Toro, Ganjuwa and Jama’are, among others.
The governor, who spoke while receiving a delegation from GAC and UNICEF at the Government House, Bauchi, said beneficiaries were supported with small-scale business skills and exposed to entrepreneurship opportunities. Represented by Deputy Governor Rt. Hon. Auwal Mohammed Jatau, he noted that the initiative has strengthened agricultural value chains, improved the business environment and promoted savings culture among women and youths.
He explained that the livelihood and nutritional empowerment project provided technical support to about 10,000 rural farmers, 60 percent of whom are women, through increased farm productivity, improved market access and better nutrition. The intervention also promoted village savings and loans associations, business incubation centres and gender action learning systems.
Governor Mohammed added that the Bauchi Opportunities for Responsive Neonatal and Maternal Health project has contributed to reducing maternal and neonatal mortality by improving the quality, availability and affordability of essential health services. He reaffirmed the state’s commitment to allocating at least 15 percent of its annual budget to the health sector in line with the Abuja Declaration.
He revealed that the state released over N872 million into the Primary Healthcare Memorandum of Understanding basket fund last year, alongside N300 million to UNICEF as a child nutrition matching grant, with plans to release N500 million this year. Additional funds were committed to family planning commodities, drug revolving schemes and the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund, while more than 130 primary healthcare centres have been constructed or renovated.
Earlier, Head of Delegation, Global Affairs Canada, Arash Irantalah, described Nigeria as a strategic partner and commended Bauchi’s leadership in financing development outcomes. He disclosed that Canada recently signed six new projects in Nigeria worth $64 million, four of which target Bauchi, focusing on poverty reduction, health system strengthening, gender equality, climate resilience and economic opportunities for women and youths.
