FG to distributes 37, 000 POS machines, laptops
Federal government has announced the payment of a N200 monthly health insurance payment as as part of efforts to improve access to healthcare for women nationwide.
Minister of Women Affairs, Barrister Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, stated this yesterday in Abuja.
She said 37, 000 Point of Sale, (POS), Machines will be distributed to all the states of the federation, 1, 000 per state, through the traditional leaders to enable the women do business and also pay the N200 health care insurance.
“We are going to traditional and community leaders, legislators, governors, states ministries for women affairs and market leaders to distributes these things, in that way the right people that can manage the business.
“Any woman that gets this POS is entitled to almost free health insurance, where you pay just N200 per month, making it N2,400 yearly for health insurance guaranteed by the same microfinance bank, PLUG.
The minister said the initiative was in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda with support from PLUG Microfinance Bank to facilitate financial transactions and boost their economic status.
She also revealed that 300 laptops would be distributed to women in states and Persons with Disabilities, (PWDs), as part of job creation effort to encourage women entrepreneurs.
“We are going ahead to give 8 laptops per state, totally 300 including four to People with Disabilities.
“The beneficiaries will be trained in IT and given online jobs that will pay in hard currency,” she said.
Giving an update onn the Pink Riders Initiative, (women in tricycle business), Barrister Kennedy-Ohanenye explained that the project would take off in army barracks to ensure the safety of the women before it is explored in other parts of the country.
“They are supposed to be women operating the tricycles to feed their homes, take care of themselves and save money to purchase another, as well as returning small money to the ministry as it is not free, but subsidies.
“When they save up to N500,000 to N600,000, the ministry will support them to get a second one and enable them pay off their debt quicker.
“We are starting them in army barracks for them to have security,” she said.
She assured that even women farmers would be provided security in their farmlands in collaboration with the army for increased food production.
