Malam Abubakar Nuhu Fikpo, the Director General, National Directorate of Employment (NDE) has directed the directorate to give out the sum of N4.2m as a loan to 168 small scale business owners in Bauchi state.
Mr Lawan Yaya, the state Coordinator of NDE, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Bauchi on Friday.
Yaya explained that Malam Abubakar Nuhu Fikpo, who was wrongly addressed as Nasir Argungu, D-G, NDE, in an earlier report published (not this medium) gave the order to embark on the programme with a view to assisting the beneficiaries on how to maintain and manage their small businesses.
He revealed that each of the selected individuals would be given the sum of N25,000.
"We were directed by Director General, Malam Abubakar Nuhu Fikpo to run a programme where we will be recruiting 168 people.
"Basically, we want to enhance them with a soft loan of N25,000 each for small businesses.
"Our intention is to assist them on how to maintain and manage their own small businesses," he said.
The state coordinator appreciated the D-G for his foresight in alleviating the economic hardship of the people, praying God would continue to grant him more empowerment ideas that would help the youth and women in the country.
Yaya further revealed that the directorate had also concluded plans to recruit 50 graduates in order to sensitise them on business enterprises.
"This is because most of the graduates don't have business expertise and some of them will say if they have money, they will do a particular business.
"We just want to sensitize them on how to run and mitigate some risks in their businesses.
"We want to also recruit one hundred people which includes both graduates and non graduates for yet another sensitization programme.
"This programme is NDE in collaboration with Nasir Saj Nigeria Limited and we will sensitise them on business enterprises which is how to manage their businesses.
"This programme will help them to look for loans in other financial agencies like CBN Nirsal programme currently running a loan package where people without business ideas are not considered with the loan.
He added that NDE was serving as a gateway for the beneficiaries of the programme to obtain the loan, thanks to the astute initiative of the D-G, Malam Abubakar Nuhu Fikpo.
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