The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) on Tuesday disbursed N8.06 million to 235 small scale business owners spread across the eight local government areas of Bayelsa State.
The Director-General of NDE, Mr. Nuhu Fikpo, said this at the empowerment programme in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital.
Fikpo, who was represented by the Bayelsa Coordinator, Mr. Aham Osuchukwu, said that the exercise was conducted under the agency’s Start Your Own Business (SYOB) and Micro Enterprise Enhancement Scheme (MEES).
He explained that the SYOB had seven beneficiaries who were all graduates of tertiary institutions.
Fikpo said that the beneficiaries wrote feasibility studies on various viable businesses.
According to him, each of them got a loan of N500,000 to enable them set up their businesses.
“The remaining 228 beneficiaries who got N20,000 each were selected under the Micro Enterprise Enhancement Scheme to boost their existing micro-businesses.
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“The micro-businesses include tomatoes, vegetables, plantain roasting, mobile food, snacks, cobblers, and fruits selling, amongst others,” he said.
Fikpo said one of the core mandates of the NDE was the implementation and design of programmes to tackle mass unemployment and poverty reduction in society.
The Director-General disclosed that beneficiaries bank accounts had been credited with the amount due to them.
He, however, urged them to make effective and efficient use of the loan.
Also speaking, one of the beneficiaries of the loan scheme, Miss Ayibalayefa Jones, was full of gratitude to the management of the NDE.
Jones pledged that they would not despise the days of their little beginning but would make effective use of the loan.
