Philanthropist empowers women in Kwara with N25 million

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Mallam Saliu Mustapha, the founder of the Saliu Mustapha Foundation, has identified empowerment of women as effective remedy to the high rate of poverty in the country.
Mustapha spoke on Monday in Ilorin after the foundation disbursed N25 million cash to 268 women selected across the 16 local government areas  of Kwara under an empowerment initiative.
The philanthropist said his decision to embark on the multi-million naira empowerment programme was hinged on the fact that a large percentage of people, particularly women and youths, were now wallowing in abject poverty.
This, he said, required efforts by well-to-do individuals to complement government in combating the societal challenges.
Mustapha, who is also a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), urged government at all levels to address the problem of unemployment, poverty and hunger holistically to stem the rising tide of criminality in the society.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the foundation had on Nov. 24 disbursed 70,000 each to 150 women.
The foundation completed the programme with the disbursement of N100, 000 each to 100 petty traders to assist in their businesses, N200, 000 to 10 women and N300, 000 to another eight to start up new businesses.
Mustapha explained that the empowerment which was entitled, “Fighting poverty and growing Small Medium Enterprises in Kwara, ” was his personal conviction to fulfilling God’s command for the privileged to use their wealth for the benefit of man.
“We have embarked on series of empowerment programmes through this  pet project in the areas of education, health, empowerment, employment and scholarships for the less privileged.
“We also distribute food items targeted at solving the problem of empowerment, poverty and hunger.
“This empowerment is borne out of my passion to put smiles on the faces of my people in Kwara state, particularly Ilorin Emirate.
“I have the intention of embarking on humanitarian services, empowering our women by giving them monies to start and build on their existing businesses, provide scholarship for students, purchase JAMB forms for them and train them in the use of ICT to write the exam.
“This is what Allah commands us to do in life, to give out of our wealth to the needy,” Mustapha said.
While eulogising the commitment of the donor in bringing people out of poverty, a renowned historian, Alhaji LAK Jimoh, harped on the need for wealthy individuals in the state to help the needy.
Some of the beneficiaries, who spoke to newsmen, commended Mustapha for empowering them without recourse to base sentiments.
Nafisat Ibrahim and Fatima Hassan, two of the beneficiaries, described the gesture as unique in the history of the state, especially when it had no political undertones.
They assured the foundation that they would make good use of the opportunity to become employers of labour.

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