By Khalid Idris Doya
The Women in Cooperative Socio-Economic Empowerment Initiative Programme (WiCSEEP), Bauchi State, has called for increased financial and technical support for women’s cooperatives across the North-East to strengthen their businesses and accelerate socio-economic development.
The organisation also called for greater recognition of women’s contributions to economic growth, noting that many continue to face challenges in accessing finance, markets, education, healthcare and other essential economic opportunities.
The chairperson of WiCSEEP, Bauchi State, Amb. Maryam Sanusi Maijama’a, made the call on Thursday during the first WiCSEEP Women Cooperatives Convention and Hackathon for the North-East, held at the Ahmadu Bello International Conference Centre (ICC) in Bauchi.
Maijama’a said the WiCSEEP was established in 2022 to address the socio-economic challenges facing women by improving their livelihoods, strengthening their skills and knowledge, and expanding their access to resources and economic opportunities.
She explained that WiCSEEP brings together more than 150 registered women’s cooperative societies drawn from the 20 local government areas of Bauchi State.
According to her, the initiative was established to mobilise, unite, educate, equip and support women engaged in cooperative entrepreneurship through access to skills development, market opportunities, financial services and other resources needed to establish and sustain viable businesses.
She said the initiative was also designed to provide a common platform for women to address shared challenges, improve their economic participation and change the narrative surrounding their access to opportunities.
“Women in cooperative societies in Bauchi State have come together as a cluster to determine the way forward, change the narrative and gain access to opportunities where they have previously been disadvantaged, despite their significant contributions to the state's and the nation's economic development,” she said.
The WiCSEEP chairperson described the 2026 Women Cooperatives Convention and Hackathon as a strategic regional platform for bringing together women cooperators, cooperative leaders, government institutions, development partners, financial institutions, private-sector actors, innovators and market players from the six North-Eastern states of Bauchi, Gombe, Borno, Adamawa, Taraba and Yobe.
She said the programme was aimed at strengthening the capacity of women in cooperatives, promoting entrepreneurship and innovation, improving access to finance and markets, and developing sustainable pathways for job creation and inclusive economic growth.
According to her, the convention features panel discussions, entrepreneurship training, cooperative enterprise development, leadership and policy dialogues, exhibitions, innovation and hackathon activities, access-to-finance engagements, mentorship and networking opportunities.
She added that these activities would equip women cooperators with the knowledge, skills and resources needed to build productive, competitive and sustainable businesses.
Maijama’a further expressed optimism that the WiCSEEP movement would foster stronger institutional partnerships to advance women's economic empowerment, cooperative entrepreneurship, innovation and inclusive economic growth across the region.
She also called on government institutions, development partners, financial institutions and private-sector stakeholders to support the initiative through investment, technical assistance and active participation.
“The future is being built today. We are laying the foundation for stronger women's cooperatives and, ultimately, future microfinance institutions led by empowered women,” she said.
She explained that WiCSEEP's broader objectives include promoting women's financial independence, improving livelihoods, reducing poverty and strengthening their capacity to drive positive change within their families and communities.
For his part, the Secretary to the Bauchi State Government, Alhaji Aminu Hammayo, commended the determination, resilience and courage of women in contributing to family welfare, community development and economic growth.
Hammayo, who was represented by the Commissioner for humanitarian affairs and disaster management, Bashir Adamu Rishi, said the state government under Governor Bala Mohammed remained committed to promoting women's empowerment, education, healthcare, humanitarian services and sustainable development.
He said the administration recognised the importance of investing in women and creating opportunities for them to contribute meaningfully to the state's economic development.
“Our administration recognises the importance of investing in women and creating opportunities for them to contribute meaningfully to the state's economic growth. We are committed to initiatives that improve access to finance, strengthen small businesses and promote social and economic inclusion,” he said.
The SSG called for improved financial literacy and business management skills among women, stressing the need to equip them with the knowledge required to manage their finances, expand their businesses and make informed economic decisions.
He also urged relevant stakeholders to support women-owned businesses in transitioning from informal operations to structured enterprises capable of accessing commercial loans, government intervention programmes, microcredit facilities and other financial services.
Hammayo further emphasised the importance of investing in training, skills development and modern business practices to enable women to participate more effectively in agriculture, manufacturing, trade and other productive sectors.
He said providing women with relevant skills and opportunities for value addition would increase productivity, create jobs and improve household incomes.
The SSG also encouraged women to establish and strengthen cooperative societies to enable them to pool resources, access funding, exchange knowledge and support one another.
He stressed the need to improve women's access to markets, business networks and other opportunities that would help them expand their enterprises and achieve greater financial independence.
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