Gov. Buni empowers 32,382 girls, 1,500 traders with grants, skills support

Gov Buni empowers 32,382 girls, 1,500 traders with grants, skills support

By Hussaini Ibrahim

DAMATURU — No fewer than 32,382 girls, 1,500 micro-enterprise traders, and 340 women have benefited from a major financial incentives and empowerment programme launched by Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni, in what the government described as one of the largest social investment interventions in the state’s history.

Governor Buni on Tuesday officially flagged off the disbursement of over ₦1.2 billion in financial incentives to schoolgirls, ₦300 million in micro-enterprise grants to displaced traders, and vocational empowerment materials to women across the 17 local government areas of the state.

The initiative, Daily Hint gathered, is part of the state’s broader strategy to strengthen education, expand economic opportunities, and deliver durable recovery for communities affected by conflict and poverty.

Speaking at the event, Governor Buni said the 32,382 girls were selected under the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) programme, a World Bank-supported project conceived in 2024 to address barriers to girl-child education in Yobe State.

According to him, the intervention aligns with his administration’s long-standing belief that education remains the strongest foundation for social stability and economic development.

“This project perfectly aligns with the policy thrust of our administration, which accords the highest priority to education as the foundation upon which progress and development are built,” Buni said.

The governor highlighted sweeping reforms in the education sector under his leadership, including the recruitment of qualified teachers, continuous training and retraining, renovation and reconstruction of over 5,000 classrooms, establishment of 13 mega and model schools, and the payment of WAEC and NECO fees for all SS III students of Yobe State origin in public schools.

He added that to further boost girl-child education, the government established nine Senior Girls Day Secondary Schools across the state to reduce dropout rates and ensure smooth transition from junior to senior secondary education.

In a related intervention, Governor Buni launched the disbursement of ₦300 million in Micro-Enterprise Grants to 1,500 beneficiaries from the displaced community of Mallam Dunari in Gujba Local Government Area, with each beneficiary receiving ₦200,000 to restart or expand small businesses.

Buni described the support as a reflection of his administration’s commitment to recovery, stabilisation, and economic reintegration of communities affected by insurgency and displacement.

“This intervention complements our massive investments in agriculture and infrastructure in Gujba, particularly in Goniri, where we have constructed a Primary Health Care Centre, provided motorised boreholes, installed solar streetlights, and implemented other livelihood-support projects,” he said.

The empowerment programme also covered 340 women drawn from all 17 local governments, who received vocational tools including 170 cooking gas cylinders, 170 micro-ovens, 170 mixers, and 170 bags of flour to enable them venture into pastry production as a sustainable source of income, in commemoration of International Women’s Day.

Governor Buni urged beneficiaries to make judicious use of the interventions, reminding them that they were selected from among thousands in need.

“You are the lucky few. Use these opportunities wisely to justify the confidence reposed in you and improve your livelihoods,” he said.

Earlier, the AGILE State Project Coordinator, Malam Abdullahi Bula, said the cash support to the 32,382 girls was targeted at students from economically disadvantaged households to ensure school retention.

“The cash intervention will go a long way in ensuring that beneficiaries remain in school and complete their education,” he said.

Also speaking, the Executive Secretary of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Dr. Muhammadu Goje, said beneficiaries from Mallam Dunari underwent rigorous business training before receiving the grants, describing the programme as a sustainable approach to post-displacement recovery.

According to Daily Hint, the large-scale empowerment initiative further reinforces Governor Buni’s reputation for people-centred governance, combining education, economic inclusion, and post-conflict recovery into a coordinated development agenda.