From Umar Danladi Ado, Sokoto
The implementation of the Nigeria for Women Scale-Up Project (NFWP-SU) has commenced in Sokoto State, with a series of activities aimed at promoting grassroots participation and effective delivery of the programme.
The State Coordinator of the project, Abdurrahman Abubakar, disclosed this during the training of Ward Facilitators in Sokoto, expressing satisfaction with the calibre of personnel recruited for the programme.
Abubakar described the recruitment process as transparent and merit-based, saying the quality of the successful candidates had strengthened confidence in the effective implementation of the project.
He said the Sokoto State Government had demonstrated strong commitment to the initiative by providing political and financial support to complement the efforts of the Federal Government and development partners.
According to him, the deployment of trained Ward Facilitators and supervisors to participating communities across the local government areas is expected to commence on Thursday.
He said the project would enhance the socio-economic status of women by strengthening community institutions, promoting financial inclusion, supporting livelihoods and creating sustainable opportunities for women to improve their household incomes and general well-being.
The commencement of activities was preceded by a courtesy visit to the Sultan of Sokoto on July 7, 2026, during which the State Coordinating Unit received royal support for the implementation of the project across participating communities.
The unit subsequently held a comprehensive planning meeting on July 8, bringing together key stakeholders to develop implementation strategies and operational plans.
It also embarked on advocacy visits to the District Heads of Sokoto North and Sokoto South Local Government Areas, where traditional leaders were briefed on the objectives, implementation strategy and expected socio-economic benefits of the project.
The engagements were followed by a 14-day community entry exercise involving officials of the State Coordinating Unit, Local Government Field Supervisors and Women Affinity Groups Support Officers (WAGSOs).
During the exercise, beneficiary communities were sensitised to the project’s objectives and the opportunities available to women, particularly in economic empowerment, financial inclusion and sustainable livelihoods.
A transparent recruitment exercise was thereafter conducted to select qualified Ward Facilitators who will serve as frontline implementers at the community level.
Applicants underwent screening, written assessments and interviews before successful candidates were selected and enrolled in a comprehensive step-down training programme.
During the training, participants were introduced to the evolution and objectives of the Nigeria for Women Scale-Up Project, which began as a pilot intervention in six states in 2018 before being expanded to 29 states under the current scale-up phase.
The facilitators were also trained in community mobilisation, group formation, stakeholder engagement, project ethics, reporting procedures and other operational guidelines required for effective field implementation.
At the end of the training, the newly recruited Ward Facilitators expressed readiness to commence field activities and pledged to apply the knowledge acquired in mobilising women into viable Women’s Affinity Groups (WAGs).
The closing ceremony was attended by the Chairman of Sokoto South Local Government Area, Alhaji Ya’u Muhammad Danda, who commended the State Coordinating Unit, the Federal Government and other stakeholders for their commitment to improving the livelihoods of women.
Danda urged the implementation team to ensure that communities in Sokoto South derive maximum benefit from the initiative, describing the programme as capable of transforming lives through economic empowerment and social inclusion.
He also charged the facilitators to discharge their responsibilities with integrity, professionalism and fairness.
The chairman stressed that the project was non-partisan and should be implemented without discrimination, urging the facilitators to ensure that every eligible woman is given equal opportunity to participate, irrespective of political affiliation, ethnic background or religious belief.
