Gombe earmarks N1.9bn for women, youths development

The Gombe State Government has allocated N1.9 billion for women and youths development projects in the coming year.

The allocation is contained in the 2014 budget of N107.4 billion presented to the State House of Assembly by Gov Ibrahim Dankwambo on Friday in Gombe.

He said that N1.1 billion would be used to train women through the office of the Hajiya Adama Women Empowerment Programme (HAWEP), the pet project of his wife.

He said the programme had impacted positively on the economic empowerment of women in the state, promising to sustain the tempo in 2014.

“We will also ensure the domestication of the Convention for the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).

“Government will also develop a social security scheme for elderly persons and people with disabilities (PWDS)”, he said.

According to Dankwambo, N796 million will be spent on youths development and poverty alleviation.

He said his administration had initiated programmes that had helped to reduce youth restiveness and poverty in the state within two years.

“Some of the programmes included the training of 1,200 youths under the Talba Youth Re-orientation and Rehabilitation Programme.

“Others were recruited as traffic, environmental and ward marshals.

“Also 320 youths were trained in six different trades at four skills acquisition centres across the state.

“We also bought 550 tricycles for distribution to youths as poverty alleviation package while 100 youths were trained on renewable solar energy”, he said.

The governor added that N820 million would be spent on sports development in 2014.

Source: NAN*