From Umar Danladi Ado, Sokoto
The First Lady of Sokoto State, Hajiya Fatima Ahmed Aliyu, has flagged off the distribution of cash assistance and food items to women and vulnerable groups across the state.
Speaking at the ceremony on Saturday, the First Lady reaffirmed the commitment of Governor Ahmed Aliyu’s administration to improving the welfare and livelihoods of less privileged residents.
She said the intervention was designed to provide immediate relief to vulnerable households while also giving beneficiaries startup capital to establish small businesses, become self-reliant and improve their standard of living.
According to her, the programme is one of several humanitarian interventions initiated by her office to support women, widows, persons living with disabilities and other disadvantaged members of society.
Hajiya Fatima said the welfare of citizens, particularly vulnerable groups, had remained a priority of the Ahmed Aliyu administration since its inception.
She noted that the state government had introduced various programmes to improve living conditions and cushion the effects of prevailing economic hardship.
The First Lady recalled that her office had implemented similar interventions under the Renewed Hope Initiative of the First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, to complement efforts aimed at improving the lives of vulnerable people in Sokoto State.
She commended Senator Tinubu for championing humanitarian programmes that provide support to the needy, internally displaced persons, persons living with disabilities and the elderly across the country.
Hajiya Fatima urged beneficiaries to make judicious use of the assistance by investing the cash support in productive ventures that would improve their livelihoods, strengthen their families and promote self-reliance.
She assured residents that the administration would continue to prioritise the welfare of women, children and vulnerable groups through sustained empowerment and social intervention programmes.
The First Lady also appealed to the people of Sokoto State to continue supporting the administration to enable it to deliver more people-oriented programmes and accelerate development.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Hajiya Asabe Balarabe, described the exercise as another demonstration of the state government’s commitment to improving the welfare of vulnerable groups.
She commended Governor Aliyu and the First Lady for their support for humanitarian programmes, saying the initiative reflected the administration’s determination to provide relief, restore hope and promote an inclusive society.
Also speaking, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Internally Displaced Persons, Hajiya Maryam Dimas, described the intervention as a reflection of the First Lady’s compassion and commitment to the welfare of the people.
She said the distribution came at a critical time when many families were facing economic hardship, adding that it would bring relief to widows, orphans, the elderly, persons living with disabilities and other vulnerable members of society.
Dimas said the intervention was in line with Governor Aliyu’s Nine-Point SMART Agenda, particularly its focus on social protection, poverty reduction and improving the well-being of the people.
She stressed that good governance was not limited to infrastructure development but also involved directly improving lives through people-centred programmes.
In her goodwill message, the APC North-West Zonal Women Leader, Hajiya Hadiza Alhaji, commended the First Lady for complementing the governor’s efforts through humanitarian and women empowerment programmes.
She described the distribution as a timely intervention that would provide relief to vulnerable households and expressed confidence that beneficiaries would use the support to improve their businesses and livelihoods.
The event climaxed with the official disbursement of cash assistance and distribution of food items to women and vulnerable groups drawn from the 23 local government areas of Sokoto State.
