BOSG Dolls Out Over N800 Million Grant, Loans to 9,154 Under Borno/NG Care
By Madu Mohammed, Maiduguri
Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno has disbursed over N814, 400 000 to 9,154 members of the GSM market, Keke NAPEP and tailoring Associations under the Borno/NG Care geared toward youth empowerment, economic recovery.
Flagging off the “Borno COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus” programme, codenamed “BORNO CARES”.on Tuesday, Governor Babagana Zulum on Tuesday said the grant worth N814m is to be disburse to 9,154 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME’s), to stimulate local businesses
The combined 9,154 beneficiaries were made up of 4, 024 tricycle operators through their Amalgamated Union of NAPEP riders, 3,130 operators of mobile phone repairers and retailers under the Borno State Association of GSM operators and 2,000 tailors from the Borno State Tailoring Association.
Zulum said “3000 members of the GSM market Associations, will get N50,000 each, 1000, N100,000 each, ,23, N500,000 each and 10, N5 million, 4,000 members of the Keke NAPEP riders will get N50,000 each, and 2,000 members of the tailoring association are to get N50,000 each.”
He said from the year 2020 to date the Borno state government HSS disabused over N4.2 4 billion to 64 members of clubs and associations.
‘BO-CARES’ is Borno State’s domestication of the Federal Government’s ‘NG-CARES’, to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the poor and vulnerable households and small scales enterprises.
Governor Zulum explained at the launch, hopes to minimize youth festiveness by boosting individual and cooperative businesses operated by youths.
In his welcome address,, the Borno state commissioner for Youth Empowerment, Sports Development and Poverty Alleviation, Saina Buba, whose ministry coordinated the exercise said that inline with the empowerment drive of the state government 75 million was disbursed to Maisandari youths associations, N320 million to Biu Market Associations, N300, 50 Monday market Associations among others.
He urged the beneficiaries to put the grant into proper use to enhance their businesses., ax well as stimulate the economy of the state, stressing that
Governor Zulum has in the last three years disbursed 4.2 billion naira to numerous groups to stimulate Borno’s economy.
Also, the Managing Director of the Borno State Microfinance Bank, Dr. Bello Alh. Ibrahim said that the Zulum administration established an ultra-modern mechanic village to boost MSME’s across Borno State.
In a goodwill message, Bank of Industry’s Project Manager, Ali Mustapha Bello who represented the Managing Director, of the bank, assured that the Bank will continue to provide support to improve local capacity in order to achieve the desired goal of the program
Before Tuesday’s release of N814m to 9,154 MSME’s, Governor Zulum had approved and disbursed funds for different economic empowerment initiatives.
It could be recalled,that last year (2021), 13,500 SMEs were empowered across Biu, Gwoza, Ngala and Jere Local Government Areas with N900 million naira., in same 2021, Zulum disbursed N350m to about 4,250 artisans and traders of different categories and locations within Maiduguri Metropolis and Jere Local Government Area among others
In 2020, alone, Zulum disbursed N1b to 7,200 SMEs drawn from Maiduguri Monday Market Traders Association, Budum Market Traders Association, Babban Layi Textile Dealers Association, Animal Feeds Sellers Association, Metro Plaza Market Association, Customs Vegetable Dealers Association, MAISANDARI Youth Development Association, Borno State Women Empowerment Association, Barracks Women Traders Association, Borno State Firewood Sellers Association, Baga Road Small Scale Traders and Tashan Bama Tipper Drivers Association.
