In a significant move aimed at fostering grassroots economic development and self-reliance, Senator Ikira Aliyu Bilbis (PDP-Zamfara Central) has launched a comprehensive empowerment initiative for 750 constituents. The program, executed in collaboration with the National Institute of Agricultural Research (NIAR) at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, represents a multi-faceted approach to poverty alleviation and capacity building within Zamfara Central Senatorial District.
The event, held in Gusau on Saturday, January 3, 2025, and inaugurated by Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal, saw the distribution of critical assets and capital designed to stimulate local enterprise. The items distributed were not random but appear strategically chosen to address specific economic niches within the constituency:
- 350 Motorcycles: These serve a dual purpose. Primarily, they address the critical need for affordable transportation in rural and semi-urban areas, enabling beneficiaries to start commercial transport (okada) businesses. Secondly, they improve mobility for existing small-scale traders, allowing them to reach wider markets and suppliers more efficiently.
- 250 Tailoring Machines: This directly targets the vibrant local fashion and garment sector, predominantly led by women. By providing the primary tool of the trade, the initiative lowers the barrier to entry for new tailors and expands the production capacity of existing ones, potentially creating apprenticeship opportunities.
- 150 Freezers: A vital asset for the food preservation and retail economy. These empower beneficiaries to venture into selling frozen goods, operate small-scale cold drink businesses, or preserve agricultural produce, reducing post-harvest loss—a key challenge in the region.
Beyond physical assets, the program included a substantial N100 million cash grant distributed to various beneficiaries. This liquidity is crucial for covering startup costs, purchasing raw materials, or scaling existing micro-businesses, providing the working capital that often stifles small enterprise growth.
Senator Bilbis, who chairs the Senate Committee on Communications, emphasized that the beneficiaries were carefully drawn from the four Local Government Areas (LGAs) of his constituency: Bungudu, Gusau, Maru, and Tsafe. The selection criteria encompassed a broad cross-section of society, including local PDP officials, party elders, youth and women groups, the aged, orphans, and other vulnerable persons. This wide net suggests an intent to build broad-based socio-economic resilience.
Governor Dauda Lawal, represented by his Deputy, Malam Mani Mummuni, praised the initiative, stating it aligned with his administration’s “rescue mission” policy. He urged beneficiaries to utilize the tools judiciously to build sustainable livelihoods.
The collaboration with NIAR, ABU Zaria, is a noteworthy aspect often missing from typical empowerment reports. As explained by the institute’s representative, Ibrahim Haruna, this partnership implies a layer of technical guidance and potentially training for beneficiaries, particularly for those in agri-business ventures that could utilize the freezers. This moves the program from mere distribution to a more sustainable model of skill-and-tool transfer.
Looking forward, Senator Bilbis outlined an ambitious capital project agenda that extends beyond individual empowerment to community-wide infrastructure. His pledges include the construction of 100 additional Mosques and Islamic Schools and the installation of 1,000 solar street lights across the constituency. The former addresses spiritual and educational needs, while the latter has direct implications for security and extended economic/social activity after dusk, further enabling a conducive environment for the new businesses to thrive.
This holistic approach—combining immediate income-generating assets, direct capital infusion, strategic academic partnership, and promises of future public goods—frames Senator Bilbis’s effort as a integrated development model. Its true success, however, will be measured in the coming months by the sustainability of the businesses launched and the tangible improvement in the economic well-being of the 750 beneficiaries and their communities.
Reported by Ishaq Zaki for the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
