The wife of Anambra State Governor, Mrs. Nonye Soludo, has disbursed financial empowerment funds to 1,085 women petty traders in Dunukofia Local Government Area to boost their businesses and support their families.

During the distribution ceremony held at the Dunukofia Local Government Secretariat, Mrs. Soludo described women as "the fulcrum of the family" who bear the greater brunt of financial pressure in their homes.

The beneficiaries, mostly small-scale vendors locally known as "Ndi Afia Table" because they operate from tables in open stalls, received financial support aimed at expanding their commercial activities.

"The idea of this empowerment programme is to support your business, so that you can do better and support your families," Mrs. Soludo told the gathered women.

She encouraged the beneficiaries to apply the funds judiciously to their businesses with due diligence to achieve growth. Mrs. Soludo also advised the traders to build trust-based relationships with their suppliers as a strategy for business expansion.

"You can build a relationship with the people who supply goods to you, such that they can be giving you on the condition that when you sell, you pay to them. If you're honest, they will trust you, and you can use the opportunity to expand your business," she explained.

Collaborative Effort

The First Lady revealed that the empowerment initiative was a collaborative effort with renowned oil magnate Prince Arthur Eze and Jim Martin Nwabueze, who provided the funds for the program. She expressed gratitude to the benefactors for their humanitarian gesture and contribution to economic sustainability in vulnerable households across the local government area.

Mrs. Soludo also highlighted additional economic empowerment opportunities available through the Anambra Small Business Agency (ASBA), which offers low-interest business and agricultural loans and grants to small and medium-scale business cooperative groups.

"We urge you to capitalise on the opportunities provided by ASBA to also boost your businesses, as the agency is open and ready to assist any organised cooperative groups ready to come in," she advised the women.

This initiative aligns with the Anambra State government's broader economic empowerment agenda aimed at supporting grassroots businesses and enhancing financial independence among women in the state.