By Abdallah el-Kurebe

Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal Tamuwal presenting a cheque of N40,000 to a widow, Hajiya Inno Nagoda, in Illela, Sokoto State.

After a six months intensive training on poultry, animal breeding and fish farming, Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal has presented a cheque of N40,000 each as start up capital to 575 beneficiaries as part of massive intervention to tackle poverty at the grassroots levels in the state.

The beneficiaries are part of the 4000 trained in similar endeavour as part of a joint-project by the state and local government areas of Sokoto state.

In addition to the N40,000 start up capital, each of the final 575 beneficiaries, drawn from Illela Local Government, also received chickens, cattle, cage, feeds, among others. 

Gov. Tambuwal, who disbursed the fund at Illela, said it was under the Conditional Cash Transfer scheme of Sustainable Development Goals ( SDGs). 

He said that the aim was to tap from the rural dwellers’ area of competitive advantage by making them productive and self reliant. 

He said funding for the project was provided by the SDGs office, the state and local government councils.

The governor said that the beneficiaries were made to enroll their children in school as part of condition for the grant. He said the measure was to press the fact that poverty should not inhibit access to education for children. 

”The beneficiaries are largely widows, aged, orphans and other indigent residents of the rural areas,” he explained. 

In their separate remarks, the Commissioners for Budget and Economic Development, Alhaji Bala Kokani, and that of Local Government, Alhaji Mannir Dan-Iya, said that the scheme was aimed at addressing some of the development challenges of the state. 

Two beneficiaries, Hajiya Hajjo Nagoda and Alhaji Aliyu Hamidu commended the state government for the gesture and promised to utilise the opportunity to reduce their level of poverty.