From Scholastica Hir, Makurdi
The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) has disbursed soft loans to 700 off-season farmers with 28 unemployed Benue farmers as beneficiaries.
The gesture was in line with the implementation of its Agricultural Enhancement Scheme (AES).
The Director – General of NDE, Mallam Abubakar Fikpo, who spoke during the disbursement to beneficiaries in Makurdi, said 28 of the total 700 beneficiaries across 14 states of the federation were Benue unemployed farmers.
He said the loan was to enable beneficiaries establish agribusinesses of their choice in order to become self-reliant, create wealth and reduce poverty.
The DG who was represented by the Benue state NDE Coordinator, Patrick Akile, noted that the increasing rate of unemployment necessitated the idea of entrepreneurial and agricultural enterprises to close the skills gap that exist among young graduates and school leavers searching for employment through its Rural Employment Promotion (REP).
“Today, we are here to flag off the provision of facilities to 700 beneficiaries under the 2023 Agricultural Enhancement Scheme (AES).
“Under this scheme, graduated trainees of various REP training schemes will be provided with facilities in the 14 states of the federation and FCT that will enable them start up or enhance their off farm agribusiness in their chosen areas of interest to become self-employed, create wealth and generate employment opportunities for others,” he said.
He advised beneficiaries to take advantage of the rare opportunity and privilege for entrepreneurship offered them to ensure high premium multiplier effect in terms of increased job creation.
Also speaking, the Head of Department of REP in Benue, Adoga Oche, said the N50,000 each facility already credited to the beneficiaries bank accounts had a moratorium of six months after which they would be expected to pay back the loan within the next three years (36 months), urging them to invest wisely.