The Rural Finance Institution Building Programme (RUFIN) has urged women in Nasarawa State to form cooperative societies, in order to access loans to boost their businesses.
Hajiya Rifkatu Jatau, the state Desk Officer, gave the advice in a message to a one-day workshop for rural women held on Thursday at Igbado in Doma Local Government Area of the state.
Jatau said the workshop was to sensitise the rural poor on the need to pool their resources through cooperative societies in order to benefit from government and other institutional support.
She said that women, youths and physically challenged persons must work together in order to enhance their livelihood.
“RUFIN is funded by the government of Nigeria and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and works to strengthen microfinance institutions.
“It also works to establish linkages between financial institutions in order to create viable inclusive rural financial system.
“RUFIN does not give loans directly to rural people but rather links Nigeria’s poor rural households to micro finance banks and financial NGO’s in order to facilitate access to saving and credit facilities to better the welfare of Nigerians, especially the poor.
“It is in view of this, that RUFIN is advising women in Nigeria, particularly in Nasarawa state, to form saving and cooperative societies in order to have easy access to micro, medium and small loans facilities.
“The formation of savings and credit cooperative societies all over the world had helped a lot of people.
“Even the civil servants pool their resources and take various kinds of loans thereby improving their socio-economic status,’’ she said.
Jatau said that cooperative societies had assisted many Nigerians to build houses, access education; pay children school fees, medical bills and other viable economic projects.
Mr Usman Egba, an official of the local council, said in his message that, the administration would encourage rural dwellers to embrace the idea of forming cooperatives, because of its enormous benefits.
The Head of Igbabo community, Alhaji Adamu Osaboya commended RUFIN for organising the workshop and called for its sustenance. (NAN)