Hardship: 1, 000 Youths, women empowered with POS, start -up cash in Benue

A financial outfit, Crust Microfinance Bank, in partnership with three other organisations empowered over 1,000 youths and women in Benue State with Point of Sale (POS) machines and start-up cash support to boost small-scale businesses.

The initiative, launched in partnership with the Challenge Fund for Youth Employment (CFYE), Thrive Agric, and Trace, designed to assist small scale businesses grow and improve their livelihoods.

The empowerment programme which took place , in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, extended beyond business support to include agricultural training, equipping participants with the tools and knowledge to enhance their well-being and strengthen their households.

According to the team Leader for the Youth and Women Empowerment Programme, Agagbe Kelvin, the event with the themed “Igniting Change and Driving Economic Growth,” was in response to the ongoing global climate change and the hardship being experienced in Nigeria.

He emphasised that the programme which is targeted at young people to drive change, encouraging participants to fully leverage the opportunities presented.

Speaking on behalf of Crust Microfinance Bank, Adamu Abdulraman explained that the bank, alongside CFYE and ThriveAgric, is committed to empowering over 1,000 individuals with POS machines, while also providing the necessary training to become certified operators.

“This initiative will help beneficiaries set up and register their businesses to enable them earn a minimum wage”.

Additionally, Abdulraman announced that Crust Microfinance Bank will provide loans to the beneficiaries, with the programme set to run for a year across five states: Benue, Kaduna, Bauchi, Plateau, and Niger.

In her keynote address on “Gender Inclusion and Youth Empowerment,” Ochanya Okoh, Technical Advisor to the Benue State Governor on Agriculture, emphasised the importance of fostering gender inclusion to unlock human potential.

She stressed that organizations that embrace diversity achieve better business outcomes, citing research that shows how gender-diverse teams enhance problem-solving and innovation.

“Empowering women is key to economic growth,” Okoh said. “Investing in their education, providing access to equal opportunities, and ensuring their representation in leadership roles benefit entire communities.”

She called on leaders, policymakers, and organizations to take actionable steps in promoting gender inclusion, urging the support of laws that advance equality and accessibility for all genders in both education and workplaces.

Jude Awuna, a panelist at the event, highlighted the need for young people to change their mindset toward agriculture, noting that modern agriculture goes beyond traditional farming methods. He encouraged youths to explore various sectors within the industry.

Some Participants, Terkura Samuel and Ikwulono Rebecca, expressed gratitude for the initiative, sharing that they had gained valuable insights on how to utilize loans in the agricultural sector and were eager to apply these lessons to grow their businesses.