Buhari Wants 45% Of N75bn MSME Fund Disbursed To Women 

President Muhammadu Buhari has directed that 45 per cent of the N75bn Micro Small and Medium Enterprises survival fund be disbursed to women entrepreneurs.

The 45 per cent of the N75bn MSME fund translates to about N33.75bn.

The Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment Mariam Katagum confirmed this on Thursday in Abuja at the unveiling of the Gender Initiative of Commodities and Export Department.

The N75bn Micro Small and Medium Enterprise Survival Fund is the core of the N2.3trn stimulus package of the Nigerian Economic Sustainability Plan.

It is made up of N60bn MSMEs Survival Fund and the N15bn Guaranteed Offtake Schemes

The Fund is a conditional grant aimed at supporting vulnerable micro and small enterprises in meeting their payroll obligations and safeguard jobs in the MSMEs sector.

It is expected to save at least 1.3 million jobs across the country and specifically impact on over 35,000 individuals per state.

Speaking at the programme, the minister said the GICED initiative is designed by the Commodities and Export Department, for the promotion of Gender responsiveness.

Katagum said said while the initiative would help promote trade and export among women entrepreneurs, a lot still needs to be done in the area of women empowerment in Nigeria.

She said, “The female gender should be equipped and ready to break the glass ceiling and ascend to new positions of power in all spheres of our society, both in the Public and Private Sector.

“For the sake of gender inclusivity, I must also indicate that the same goes for men. Gender issues are cross cutting and both genders, must always be willing to take advantage of opportunities that abound.

“However, women especially need to change old mind-sets, develop their capacities and embrace the notion that they are capable of doing what men can do.

“Women need to work harder at self-development, building capacities, embrace punctuality and actively engage in meaningful programs and activities, without making typical excuses.

” I am confident that this Initiative would serve as one of the many platforms in the advancement of Gender inclusivity, in CED and the Ministry.”

In her remarks at the event, the Minister of Women Affairs, Pauline Tallen described the initiative as apt as women accounts for 75 per cent of the farming population in Nigeria.

She said though women constitute a large portion of the farming population, their successes in agricultural are hindered by formal and traditional rules.

Generally, she said that the extent of gender involvement in agricultural production varies across ethnic groups with some clear distinctions in activities between them.

The minister said the launch of the gender initiative would provide the much needed intervention and impact in giving equal access to both the male and female in terms of trade in relation to exporting goods and commodities beyond Nigeria.

She said, “Let is remember that one of the real values of our coming together as partners in progress is do hold one another accountable but also to be mutually supportive in what we do to address the plight of the women and children and more importantly the vulnerable in our society.”