The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) has inaugurated five loan schemes for 138 rural farmers in Imo.
The Director-General of NDE, Mallam Abubakar Nuhu-Fikpo, while inaugurating the schemes in Owerri, on Tuesday, said that the programmes organised by the Directorate’s Department of Rural Employment Promotion (REP) were targeted at unemployed Nigerians living in the rural areas.
Nuhu-Fikpo, represented by the Directorate’s Co-ordinator in Imo, Mrs Ngozi Ihenacho, said that 100 persons would benefit from the Sustainable Agricultural Development Training Scheme, with each beneficiary receiving an empowerment loan of N100,000.
He added that 15 people would benefit from the Agricultural Enhancement Scheme while 12 others would also benefit from the Sustainable Agricultural Development Empowerment Scheme .
According to him, eight people would benefit from the Graduate Agricultural Empowerment Scheme, and three others would also benefit from the Community-Based Agricultural Empowerment Scheme.
He thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for approving the release of funds for the schemes and urged the beneficiaries to justify the funds released to them by putting them to their best use.
“We are grateful to President Muhammadu Buhari, who graciously and pragmatically continues to support efforts of the NDE to train as many unemployed persons as possible through various schemes.
“I call on you beneficiaries to justify the confidence reposed in you, by judiciously using the money so that others can benefit from your business investments and collectively, we shall eradicate unemployment,’’ he said.
Speaking, the Director of REP Department, Mr Michael Mbata, noted that the empowerment funds were not grants, but loans meant to be repaid after a period of six months.
Mbata, represented by a senior staff of the Department, Mr Paschal Edene, urged the beneficiaries to put the funds to good use adding that repayment of the loans would attract bigger loans.
Also, REP’s Head of Department in Imo, Mrs Chisara Egwim-Chima, urged the beneficiaries to take advantage of the opportunity to become self-reliant employers of labour, rather than wait for white collar jobs.
Mrs Irene Ukanwa, who spoke on behalf of the beneficiaries, promised that they would use the loans to start new agro businesses, strengthen existing ones and empower other unemployed persons. (NAN)
