Bridge Connect Africa Initiative (BCAI), a non-governmental organisation, has unveiled Phase II of the Women Against Violence Empowerment through Sustainability (WAVES II) project, which aims to empower another 50 Survivors of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in Kano.
Unveiling the programme during a press briefing in Kano, BCAI’s executive director, Sani Muhammad, said the project will build on the outcomes and lessons of the first phase, with the new participants receiving sector-specific agribusiness coaching, access to circular economy training, and market mentorship tailored to their enterprise needs.
He said the women would be selected across targeted communities in the state.
“The next phase builds on the outcomes and lessons from Phase 1, advancing a model that links gender-based violence prevention, women’s economic empowerment, and climate-smart agriculture.
“This new phase of the WAVES project is generously supported by the Embassy of France in Nigeria through the French Embassy Fund for Nigerian Civil Society Organizations (FEF-OSC), whose investment affirms a shared commitment to gender justice and inclusive development approaches.
“Women and girls in Northern Nigeria face persistent structural barriers that heighten their vulnerability to violence, economic exclusion, and climate stress,” he said.
Represented by the organisation’s chief operating officer, Fatima Musa, the executive director noted that the Phase 1 project worked with 50 women survivors of GBV, young mothers, and women engaged in small-scale agribusiness providing training in financial literacy, compost-based farming, cooperative building, and rights advocacy.
He, however noted that the current project will deliver integrated support across three key areas – economic empowerment, GBV prevention and policy Advocacy.
While reiterating the organisations’ commitment to designing interventions that will deliver dignity through access and economic stability, he thanked the French embassy and all stakeholders for supporting the continuation of the project and urged other institutions to join the effort in ending violence against women.
