The National Orientation Agency (NOA),Kaduna Directorate, on Friday urged people with Special Needs and other vulnerable groups, to avail themselves of opportunities provided by Government Enterprise Empowerment Programme (GEEP 2.0).
Mr John Bala-Asate, Deputy Director, Programme, of the Agency, who is also the Master Trainer of GEEP 2.0 in the state, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna.
He said the programme was aimed at alleviating poverty and empowering youths and the vulnerable in the society, and therefore advised those in need of GEEP facilities, to get registered.
The deputy director stated that registration commenced on Sept.1,2021, immediately after a sensitization programme on the benefits of GEEP was conducted in all the 23 local government area of the state, conducted by NOA Desk Officers.
“We conducted a step-down training for our Community Mobilization Officers (COMOS), and directed them to carryout sensitization campaign.
“Presently the Desk Officers are carrying out registration of interested beneficiaries; interested persons should go to NOA office in their Local Government Areas and submit their data ,name, address, age, BVN number and NIN “, he advised.
He said that the empowerment programme was in three categories, namely TraderMoni targeted at youth, MarketMoni targeted at women who cater for the family, and FarmerMoni targeted at rural farmers.
Bala-Asante said that a non interest loan of N50,000 would be given to beneficiaries of TraderMoni and MarketMoni while FarmerMoni beneficiaries would receive agriculture inputs worth N300,000.
According to him, the registration exercise has been successful as many people have continued to trooped into NOA local government offices to get registered.
He said challenges encountered had to do with the precarious security situation in two Local Government Areas of Kaura and Birnin Gwari.
The deputy director said that civil servants and large scale business owners were not eligible.
He said that beneficiaries for TraderMoni and MarketMoni would be given six months duration to repay the loan, while FarmerMoni loan beneficiaries would repay in nine Months.
NAN reports that the GEEP programme is being implemented by the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, under its National Social Investment Programme (N-SIP) (NAN)
