By Peter Duru, Makurdi

The Chairman of Makurdi Local Government Area, LGA, Chief Joseph Keffi, has boosted the TAHAV Women Cooperative Society with N1million donation to help improve the livelihood of the beneficiaries of the Promoting Women’s Economic Resilience (POWER) Project.

The TAHAV Women Cooperative Society is made up displaced women residing in Internally Displaced Persons, IDP, camps and host communities.

The donation, made during a Social Media and Visibility Training session for the women, held at the Bureau of International Cooperation and Development (BICD) in Makurdi, is aimed at strengthening the cooperative’s business activities and consolidating gains already recorded under the project.

The POWER Project is being implemented by the Centre for Redefining Alternative Civic Engagement (RACE) in collaboration with the Gender and Environmental Risk Reduction Initiative (GERI), with support from the Embassy of France in Nigeria through the French Embassy Fund for Civil Society Organizations (FEF-OSC).

The initiative is designed to enhance the economic resilience of conflict-affected and vulnerable women by equipping them with vocational skills, business management training, and cooperative development support.

As part of its ongoing activities, beneficiaries recently participated in a Social Media and Visibility Training to improve their digital marketing skills and boost the visibility of their businesses.

The event also featured the official handover of starter packs procured to help members of TAHAV Women Cooperative Society scale up their enterprises.

Keffi, who was at BICD on other official engagement, was drawn to the event after noticing the array of starter packs displayed at the venue. Curious about the initiative, he made inquiries and briefly interacted with the organizers and beneficiaries.

After learning about the training the women had undergone and the progress recorded so far, the Chairman expressed admiration for the initiative and pledged to support the cooperative with a donation of N1million.

“I am impressed by what I have seen here today. Empowering women with practical skills and business knowledge is key to strengthening families and communities. This initiative aligns with our commitment to supporting programs that promote self-reliance and economic growth at the grassroots,” he said.

Although the pledge was initially scheduled to be fulfilled at the end of the month, the excitement and appreciation shown by the beneficiaries reportedly moved the Chairman to redeem his promise immediately.

The N1million donation was delivered shortly after the announcement, sparking celebration among members of the cooperative.

Speaking at the event, the Director General of the Bureau of International Cooperation and Development (BICD), Mr. Leo-Angelo Viashima, commended the Makurdi LG Chairman for what he described as responsive and supportive leadership.

“This gesture reinforces an initiative that is already transforming lives by equipping women with practical vocational and business management skills. It demonstrates how local government leadership can complement the efforts of development partners to achieve sustainable impact,” Viashima.

He urged the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the support received and continue building on the foundation provided through the POWER Project.

The donation is expected to further strengthen the sustainability of the vocational and business management gains achieved under the project, while highlighting the importance of collaboration between local government authorities and international development partners in advancing women’s economic resilience in Benue State.

Beneficiaries expressed renewed confidence that the additional financial boost would enable them to expand their businesses, improve household incomes, and contribute more meaningfully to the local economy.