The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) on Wednesday empowered beneficiaries of its Rural Employment Promotion (REP) department with N22.8 million soft loans to start their own agribusinesses.
Director General of NDE, Mallam Abubakar Nuhu Fikpo, in his speech during the ceremony to mark the disbursement of the soft loans to beneficiaries in Makurdi, Benue State, said over the years, the REP department successfully implemented several circles of the Sustainable Agricultural Development and Empowerment Scheme (SADES) but that the trainees had not received commensurate assistance to begin their own businesses.
He said the disbursement of loans to beneficiaries in 12 states of the federation including Benue with the sum of N100, 000 each to start up their agribusiness along its value chain would go a long way to address unemployment in the country.
Fikpo, represented by the coordinator of NDE in Benue, Akile Patrick, noted that the increasing rate of unemployment necessitated the idea of entrepreneurial and agricultural enterprises to close the skills gap that exists among young graduates and school leavers searching for employment.
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“Under this scheme, 228 beneficiaries will be empowered with N22,800,000 million to enable them to set up and manage small scale agricultural enterprises in their chosen areas of interest to become self-reliant, create wealth and generate employment opportunities for others,” he said.
On his part, the director of REP department, Edem Duke, advised the beneficiaries on the effective utilisation of the loans for the purpose for which it was obtained and pay back at the due time to enable other people to benefit.
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