ALIKO Dangote Foundation (ADF) is to empower 106,000 women in four states of the North with N1.1 billion, it was learnt on Sunday.
To achieve the feat, ADF has begun the identification of eligible beneficiaries to implement the programme across these states.
The foundation will empower 23,000 women in Sokoto, 34,000 in Katsina, 21,000 in Kebbi and 28,000 in Zamfara states.
The programme has N10 billion targeted at 1 million indigent and vulnerable women.
It was launched in Kano State in 2011 and is being systematically rolled out nationwide to cover the 774 local government areas of the country.
So far, 334,500 women and youths have benefitted from the programme in Kano, Jigawa, Kogi, Adamawa, Borno, Yobe, Lagos, Nasarawa and Niger states.
The Dangote micro-grants are among the empowerment programmes of ADF, which provides disadvantaged women as well as disadvantaged youths, with a one-time N10,000 cash grant to boost their household income generation.
This, ADF said, will reduce the vulnerability of the beneficiaries and meet their livelihood needs.
Beneficiaries also receive training to bolster their income-generating activities, which are critical to the welfare of millions of Nigerians.
Also, the beneficiaries of the programme are evenly selected from the target community/ward/hamlet based on the following criteria: vulnerable women, food-distressed household with infant or children under five years old, disabled, divorcee, widow with multiple dependents, extremely poor and resident in the community and at least 18-year old, irrespective of marital status.