Wife of Bauchi State Governor, Aisha Bala Mohammed, has reaffirmed her commitment to breaking the cycle of poverty among persons with disabilities (PWDs) and vulnerable households through the Al-Muhibbah Foundation’s empowerment initiative.
Speaking in Yelwa Duguri, Alkaleri Local Government Area, during an empowerment exercise on Tuesday, organised in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the First Lady stated that the initiative aims to promote economic independence among disadvantaged groups, particularly women.
Represented by the wife of the Deputy Governor, Asmau Auwal Jatau, Aisha Bala Mohammed explained that the empowerment program was designed to uplift beneficiaries by providing them with sustainable sources of income and livelihood support.
She commended UNFPA for its continuous partnership with the Al-Muhibbah Foundation, which supported the empowerment of 50 persons with disabilities, while the foundation added 70 others — bringing the total number of beneficiaries to 120.
The Coordinator of Al-Muhibbah Foundation, Zara’u Baba, stated that the beneficiaries were trained in four key skills — cosmetology, beans cake (akara) production, soya beans cake making, and groundnut oil processing. She said each participant received a full starter kit to launch their businesses and was urged to make judicious use of the items.
She added that all beneficiaries were selected from communities within the local government area.
UNFPA Gender and Reproductive Health Analyst, Deborah Tabara, reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to supporting people in hard-to-reach communities. At the same time, UNFPA Disability, Diversity and Inclusion Analyst, Olawummi Laolu Akande, emphasized the importance of inclusive empowerment programs.
In his remarks, the Village Head of Yelwa Duguri, Ibrahim Baba, represented by Ibrahim Sarkin Yaki, commended both the Foundation and UNFPA for extending support to underserved members of his community.
Other dignitaries present, including the Executive Secretary of the Agency for Persons with Disabilities, Mrs. Brisca Jerome; Director-General of SDGs, Mrs. Lydia Shehu; and Special Assistant on Youth and Women, Maijidda Hassan Musa, urged beneficiaries not to sell the empowerment items but to use them productively to improve their livelihoods.
Beneficiaries expressed gratitude to the Bauchi First Lady and UNFPA, describing the empowerment initiative as a major step toward achieving financial stability and independence.
