The Kwara State Government on Sunday distributed empowerment materials worth N10 million to 200 female beggars as part of measures to discourage street begging in the state.

The beneficiaries, comprising indigenes and non-indigenes, received grants to enable them to start meaningful ventures instead of begging.

Some of the items are: grinding machines, hair dressing materials, deep freezers, crates of soft drinks, sewing machines, cows, mats, print wax, rice, guinea corn, cartoons of milk, beans and detergent.

Gov. AbdulFatah Ahmed reaffirmed the determination of the State Government to rid the state of street beggars.

Represented by Mr Leke Ogungbe, the Deputy Chief of Staff Government House,Ahmed said he would continue to embark on poverty alleviation programmes to eliminate poverty among the people of the state.

The wife of the state governor, Mrs Omolewa Ahmed, who was also represented by her Special Assistant Administration and Strategy, Mr Lanre Bello, said the present administration in the state had initiated measures to improve the wellbeing of women.

She advised the beneficiaries to judiciously utilise the items presented to them to improve their wellbeing economically.

On her part, the Senior Special Assistant to the governor on Poverty Alleviation, Hajia Sarah Adebayo, said the programme, which was tagged "No gain in begging", was in line with the shared prosperity programme of the state government.

She warned that the state government would deal with any beneficiary found disposing the items received or roaming about government offices for alms.

Some of the beneficiaries expressed their gratitude to the state government for the gesture and promised to make use of them.

They told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that they would utilise the items to improve their economic status and stop begging forthwith. (NAN)