Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF) has so far disbursed the sum of N3.924 billion to 392,490 women and youths across Kano, Jigawa, Kogi, Adamawa, Borno, Yobe, Lagos, Niger, Nasarawa, Sokoto and Katsina states as part of its micro-grant programme.

Additionally, the Foundation has concluded plans to extend the disbursement of the micro grant program to Ogun, Osun, Kwara, Edo, Rivers, Anambra, Ebonyi and Bauchi states as part of the next phase of this programme.

A breakdown of the disbursement shows that N880 million was distributed to 88,000 women in Kano State; 27,000 women received N270 million in Jagawa state; 22,000 women received N220 million in Kogi State; 31,500 women and youth collected N315 million in Adamawa, and 54,000 Women and youth got N540 million in Borno State.

Furthermore, 40,000 women received N400 million in Lagos; 25,000 women received N250 million in Niger; 13,000 received N130 Million in Nassarawa; 23,990 women benefitted from the sum of N239.9 million in Sokoto, and 34,000 women benefitted from N340 million in Katsina State, and 34,000 women and youth benefitted from N340 million in Yobe State.

According to the Foundation, in some states, mobile phones and bank cards to start up or improve their income-generating activities were added to the grants as a delivery mechanism for the funds in partnership with the respective state and local governments and mobile money/bank operators.

The managing director/chief executive officer of ADF, Zouera Youssoufou stated that the Board of the Foundation has already approved the next phase of disbursement of the grants across Ogun, Osun, Kwara, Edo, Rivers, Anambra, Ebonyi and Bauchi states.

She described the Aliko Dangote Foundation Micro-grant programme as a N10 billion programme designed to provide a N10,000 one-off grant to at least 1,000 vulnerable women, and in some cases, youths, in each of the 774 LGAs across Nigeria.