Kuni Tyessi in Abuja
The Federal Government, through the Nigerian Consumer Credit Corporation (CREDICORP), has formally rolled out the 10,000 Women in Mobility programme.
The scheme is designed to empower 10,000 women across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) by granting them access to vehicles, tricycles (popularly known as Keke), and motorcycles.
Speaking while launching and handing over the vehicles to the beneficiaries, Minister of Women Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, underscored the importance of activating economic spaces for women to ensure their credit worthiness and financial success.
She disclosed that the Abuja pilot phase saw mobility assets handed over to 1,000 women, noting that the programme will be expanded nationwide to reach 10,000 beneficiaries.
According to her, the programme reflects the Federal Government’s resolve to remove structural barriers that limit women’s participation in key sectors of the economy.
Her words: “It’s an economic empowerment. It’s how much they drive it and how many hours they put into it. There’s no economic effort that is a chicken feed. Mr. President has a goal of a $1 trillion economy, and we have all come together across sectors to ensure that we activate economic spaces and also carry women along.
“Because women are over 50 per cent of the population of this country, and they participate across sectors, so we will like to strengthen their participation so that it translates into value, not just for them and their families, but for the country at large”.
Earlier, MD of CREDICORP, Engr. Uzoma Nwagba, described the programme as a practical step towards expanding financial inclusion and deepening Nigeria’s consumer credit ecosystem.
Nwagba explained that CREDICORP is working with key partners to integrate financing, asset supply, training, and business support, ensuring that beneficiaries go beyond accessing credit to achieving success in their mobility businesses.
He assured that the agency would continue to collaborate with relevant stakeholders to ensure the success, transparency, and sustainability of the programme nationwide.
Some of the beneficiaries who spoke to reporters said the initiative would enable them to become financially independent, support their families, and contribute meaningfully to the economy, while pledging to make judicious use of the mobility assets and comply fully with the repayment terms.
In their separate goodwill messages, Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha; Director General, National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), Oluwemimo Osanipin as well as the National President, National Council for Women Society (NCWS), Princess Edna Azura, commended the Federal Government and CREDICORP for the initiative, describing it as a timely intervention that would expand women’s participation in the mobility and transport sector.
