NAN-HE-28
Concession
Damaturu, May 11, 2017 (NAN) Small and Medium Scale Entrepreneurs in Yobe on Thursday appealed for concession in the implementation of the Social Investment Scheme of the Federal Government.
The entrepreneurs made the appeal at the end of a workshop on Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP), under the Social Investment Programme, organized for stakeholders in Damaturu.
The participants, who spoke to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in separate interviews, said granting them concession would help fast-track the economic rehabilitation of victims of insurgency.
According to them, they deserved special preference due to losses they suffered from the insurgency, adding that it would also facilitate their economic reconstruction and rehabilitation.
Usman Abubakar, a member of Fish Sellers Association, said most of his colleagues had lost almost everything to insurgency and were just trying to recover, and therefore pleaded for support.
Bukar Goniri, an automobile spare parts dealer in Buni –Yadi, one of the key towns held by insurgents for years, said “victims of insurgency are endangered species that require special support to regain their means of livelihood.”
Two female grain dealers in Damaturu, Kyalu Abba and Aisha Mohammed, said the programme should provide the victims with special support and loan packages to boost economic rehabilitation.
“Our economic fortunes were destroyed by insurgency; we are in need of special attention to solve our peculiar economic challenges,” Kyalu said.
In his presentation at the workshop, Mr Yunusa Ibrahim, Lead Consultant to Bank of Industries, said the scheme was aimed at providing loan to medium and small scale entrepreneurs to enable them expand their businesses.
He said the loan was meant for entrepreneurs with existing enterprise that operated on daily basis and not new business ventures.
Alhaji Mohammed Yusufari, Yobe Focal Person, Federal Government Social Investment Programme, said 3,800 university graduates, Diploma and Certificate holders, had been engaged in the agriculture, health and education sectors under the programme.
He said the GEEP programme would provide entrepreneurs with financial support as loans, ranging from N10,000 to N100,000, to enable them expand their business ventures. (NAN)
MM/ASH/ASH