By Abubakar Rabilu Gombe
Zainab Muhammad, a charcoal seller, has received a ₦50,000 grant from the GO-Cares program, and she believes this financial support could help her become a millionaire capable of establishing a factory.
Zainab explained that the grant came at a crucial time, as her charcoal-selling business was struggling due to a lack of capital. Now, with the additional funding provided through the government’s GO-Cares program, she feels it could pave the way for her financial success.
The GO-Cares program launched its fifth phase aimed at supporting small-scale entrepreneurs and farmers, allowing them to benefit from this initiative.
Speaking during the launch, Governor Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya, represented by the Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Salihu Baba Alkali, stated that approximately 573,429 people would benefit from the program across various sectors.
Governor noted that if the beneficiaries utilize the materials provided to them wisely, it could significantly enhance their livelihoods, emphasizing the importance of the items distributed.
He also advised beneficiaries not to sell the equipment but to use it to become self-reliant, pointing out that the lack of financial independence often drives people into hardship.
The Chairman of Akko Local Government, Muhammad Danladi Adamu, commended the GO-Cares program for supporting low-income individuals by providing them with tools for self-sustenance.
He added that in the agricultural sector, the program had supported the communities of Tukulma and Kembu within his local government with fertilizers, pesticides, and irrigation machines for dry-season farming.
His Royal Highness, Lamido Gona, Alhaji Umar Abdulkadir Abdussalam, urged the GO-Cares beneficiaries not to sell the items provided to them, stressing that the support was meant to help them become self-reliant.
The Emir highlighted that, with proper utilization of the materials, especially in farming, they would contribute to the nation’s food security while also advancing agriculture and livestock production. In the future, it might become difficult to find anyone without work.
Some of the beneficiaries expressed their gratitude to the government, noting that the program had provided them with a strong foundation for self-sufficiency.
The program has distributed agricultural tools, including fertilizers, pesticides, irrigation machines, and sewing machines, goats for livestock rearing, and milling machines.