The Micro-Enterprise Enhancement Scheme (MEES), an initiative of the minister of power, Alhaji Sale Mamman, has disbursed about N5.8 million to 584 women and youths in Taraba state.
Speaking at the Disbursement of Loan under the MEES on Monday in Jalingo, Mamman said that the gesture was part of the strategies adopted by the present administration to bring more Nigerians out of poverty.
Represented by his Special Assistant on Administration, Alhaji Gambo Karim, Mamman said that the gesture was to assist President Muhammadu Buhari in rolling out life-transforming programmes.
“Today, we have seen the practical demonstration of the President’s promise to women and youth who are engaged in small businesses.
According to him, the enhancement of many micro-businesses will lead to aggregate economic boom because such small ventures are building blocks of larger businesses.
“We have confidence on the beneficiaries of this micro-enterprises enhancement scheme because most of them are already business owners,’ he said.
The minister commended the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) for their efforts toward reducing unemployment in the state.
He assured of a continuous partnership with the NDE to ensure that the people of the state continue to benefit from dividends of democracy.
Earlier, Dr Ladan Argungu, Director General of the NDE said that the directorate had taken a variety of employment promotions and poverty reduction activities for the citizenry.
Argungu however, observed that the major constraint to achieving the goals of the directorate was lack of access to microcredit with a human face.
According to him, most organisations and privileged individuals are not willing to lend to this category of underprivileged persons.
The Director-General, who was represented by the Taraba state Coordinator of NDE, Aderemi Adebisi commended the Minister for the collaboration with the NDE to disbursed N5.8 million to 584 youth and women at the rate of N10, 000 per individual.
He said the loan would boost existing micro-enterprises and facilitate the establishment of new small businesses in the state.
He further explained that the loan would reduce idleness among the youth by engaging in profitable economic activities as well as to enhance family income.
One of the beneficiaries, Miss. Doris Yakubu commended the Minister for the initiative, saying that the amount given to them would go a long way in boosting their businesses.
Beneficiaries were selected from the 16 local government areas in the state.
