Bauchi — About 1,000 women have benefitted from a grant of working materials and cash donation of twenty thousand naira each from the state government.

The women were selected from the 20 local government areas of the starte to benefit from a training exercise for minor enterprises.

The state's Commissioner for Women Affairs Hajiya Talatu Barwa said this yesterday at a budget defence before the state House of Assembly committee on budget and appropriation.

She said the donation was to enable the beneficiaries establish small businesses as part of the government's poverty alleviation drive.

The chairman of the committee, Abdulqadir Umar Dewu, commended the last year's performance of the ministry, saying "it is one of the few ministries that have exhibited a high level of fiscal discipline".