Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has launched the disbursement of N50,000 grant each to about four thousand artisans to support their businesses and strengthen the local economy.
Performing the official disbursement of the fund to the beneficiaries at the Banquet Hall in Ilorin, Governor AbdulRazq said programme is one of the administration’s initiatives to support local industries, talents and SMEs to grow.
According to him the programme will prevent job export, strengthen the local economy, reduce poverty rate, and improve living standards in the state.
AbdulRazq said before his administration in 2019,the State did not have any structured and legally backed initiative to encourage and support local industries, self-employment, petty trading, and reduce poverty.
He explained that the administration had in 2020 contracted the production of 500,000 facemasks to the state branch of the Nigerian Tailoring Union to curb the spread of COVID 19, apart from several other supports so far extended to the group.
AbdulRazaq said the artisans are the custodians of various skills and key drivers of sustainable economic growth, adding that their inclusion in the intervention will help to encourage skills development and grow the economy.
He urged the beneficiaries to make good use of the grant to develop their business.
In his address the acting General Manager for Kwara state Social investment progmme KWASSIP, AbdulQuowiyu Olododo, , said the artisans were carefully selected from thirteen thousand applicants across the sixteen local governments of the state.
COV/ALI MUHAMMAD RABIU
