Rabiu Omaku
The Federal Government in a concerted effort to ameliorate the suffering of traders under its Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme has begun the disbursement of N300 million loan facilities to 30,000 beneficiaries in the 13 local government Areas and 18 Development Areas of Nasarawa state.
The disbursement exercise which took place at the Lafia Ultra-modern Market was expected to last for five days and is part of the Federal Government Social Investment Programme which is targeted at bringing succour to small-scale business entrepreneurs.
Mrs. Chinyere Okorocha, the project officer while addressing newsmen immediately after the commencement of the loan disbursement exercise explained that they were in Lafia for market activation for traders.
She averred that they were in Lafia to disburse monies as well as sensitize people of the state about the programme.
According to her: “We have been to 15 states of the federation around the country, and today is scheduled for Nasarawa. We are going to activate about 11,000 beneficiaries for today.
However, 30,000 beneficiaries would be captured at the end of the exercise in Nasarawa state.”
Okorocha added that each of the 30,000 beneficiaries from Nasarawa state was expected to access the sum of N10,000 each which will be repayable within a duration of six months.
Mrs. Gloria Ogbona, a beneficiary applauded the Federal Government under the headship of President Muhammadu Buhari for assisting the petty traders in the state
She appealed to the Federal Government to sustain the social investment programme.
The project officer, however, admonished other tiers of government to emulate gesture of the Federal Government’s idea of empowering the less privileged members of the society.
A 400 level student of the Nasarawa State University, Keffi, Mr. Ahmed Adamu Zanwa thanked the Federal Government for coming to the aid of the petty traders in the state as according to him, “the loan facility will leverage the less privilege in the society”.
