Beneficiaries of Gov. Zulum’s grants shower praises

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BY YUNUSA BUNU, NOVEMBER 09, 2022 | 03:41 PM


'We have never expected such intervention from anyone,' Mai Kano Mohammed, the leader of tricycle riders in Borno said in tears, when he received business grant from the Borno State Government.

He received a dummy cheque of N200 million on behalf of 4, 000 tricycle riders from the intervention at the flag-off of NG-CARES Result Area 3.

The program was flagged off by Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum, Governor of Borno in Maiduguri, at the Ramat Square on Tuesday.

It was meant to offer quick relief for small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) that may have suffered from the shock of the Corona Virus pandemic.

'Borno NG-CARES Result Area 3 is an initiative of the World Bank and encouragement to state governments to boost empowerment programs and recovery of small/medium scale businesses after the collapse of our economy as a result of Covid-19,' said Bello Ibrahim Alhaji, the focal person of the program.

He explained that 9, 100 beneficiaries from three associations—of GSM vendors / repairers, tricycle riders and tailors—were earmarked to benefit from this phase of the intervention.

4, 000 tricycle operators will get N50, 000 each and nine of their group leaders will receive N1 million each, while the overall leaders will be getting N2 million each.

For the GSM vendors, 2, 000 beneficiaries will receive N50, 000 each; while 1, 000 will receive N100, 000 each. Another 100 will receive N500, 000 each. Ten of their leaders will also receive N5 million each.

Launching the program, the governor said the funds are disbursed as grants, and not loans, calling on the beneficiaries to use it judiciously.

Speaking for the beneficiaries, Mai Kano who received N200 million for his members thanked the state government for finding them worthy of the grant.


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Similarly, Hassan Mohammed, the leader of Borno State GSM Village who received N320 million on behalf of his members and N5 million as grant for his business thanked Zulum for always supporting their business.


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He assured that the funds will be judiciously used to uplift out their businesses.

While thanking the World Bank, Bank of Industry, the Borno State Renaissance Micro Finance Bank as well as the entire team of Borno State NG-CARES, Governor Zulum called on other business owners in the state to remain calm as the government is making plans to also support them.

'We cannot do it all at once, but I assure you, the government of Borno State will not spare any association or business without being supporting,' the governor said.


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