The Canadian government, in collaboration with Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA) and the Bauchi state government, has partnered to support 294 small-scale businesses and establish 590 saving groups across seven Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Bauchi state. The initiative, known as Women’s Empowerment and Youth Entrepreneurship (WAY), was a five-year program funded with $15 million from the Canadian government and $1.1 million from MEDA and the Bauchi state government.
The project, which officially concluded in December 2023 after running for seven years, aimed to enhance business performance and create a conducive environment for women and youth-led businesses. Lydia John Shehu, Director General of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), praised MEDA as a significant development partner, acknowledging its impactful contributions to the socioeconomic development of the state.
The WAY initiative provided support to small businesses, encouraging entrepreneurship by providing over 9,000 agro-processing technologies. The project focused on increasing contributions by women and youth-led businesses to support economic growth, promoting inter-community trade in value-chain goods such as rice, beans, soybeans, groundnuts, and oils.
Seven LGAs in Bauchi State, including Bauchi, Toro, Warji, Ganjuwa, Jama’are, Dass, and Katagum, benefited from the program. Over three years, the 590 saving groups accounted for over ₦700 million that was reinvested in their enterprises. The program supported 17,861 individuals and businesses, creating and sustaining 79 jobs.
As part of its commitment to climate sustainability, the MEDA WAY project partnered with a local clean technology firm, Roshan Renewables, to encourage the adoption of clean cookstoves. Additionally, the project played an active role in creating the Climate Collaboration strategy and establishing the Bauchi State Environmental Stakeholders Committee in 2018.
In 2021, the Committee supported the planting of 9,500 trees in the seven LGAs where MEDA works, addressing the growing threat of drought and desertification. MEDA also collaborated with the National Agency for Great Green Wall (NAGGW) to train and equip over 100 youth in seedling production.
Mrs. Grace Fosen, the Country Project Manager of MEDA, commended the state government for creating an enabling environment for the project over the past seven years. She appealed for the sustenance of the project’s outcomes to continue improving the development and livelihoods of the people of the state.
