From 2003, government has established relationship with several manufacturing companies across the country. These companies include 7Up/Pepsi Cola bottling company; Coca-cola; Peak Milk; Olden Burger Milk; Chellarams Plc; Dangote Groups; Global Soap and Detergent; Globacom; Thermo-cool electronics, among others.

Under a partnership, government buys a large quantity of various products that are distributed mostly to women to set up a retail business on a zero capital. While government provides the products, the partnering companies provide free storage facilities like refrigerators, freezers and “cooler” flasks.  The beneficiary is then given a repayment schedule over a period of time. Prompt repayment provides opportunity for bigger supplies to the beneficiaries, while also providing further credit to others. Many women that started with only 5 crates now receive up to 60 crates of soft-drinks having successfully discharged themselves of their loan facilities over the years.

As incentive, The Executive Governor announced last year that women who have demonstrated the best commitment to their repayment terms would enjoy government sponsorship to Hajj and Jerusalem depending on the beneficiary’s religious persuasion. Many women have gone on pilgrimage under this promise.

Over 3000 women across the State have been set up in lucrative business as retailers of a wide range of products like milk, soft-drinks, cigarettes, packaged fruit juice, vegetable oil, soap and detergents etc. Quite a sizeable number of these women are widows and single mothers who shoulder family responsibilities.

Increased access to gsm telecommunication has also aided the efforts of creating jobs for youths in the State. Under a similar arrangement as with other companies, many of the youths now manage businesses in selling recharge cards and “sim packs” for the various gsm telephone companies, especially globacom.