From Femi Oyelola, Kaduna
Not less than 7,600 youths and women across the 23 local government areas of Kaduna state on Wednesday’s benefited from the Subsidy Re-investment programme (SURE-P) starter packs which were distributed by Kaduna State Governor, Alhaji Mukhtar Ramalan Yero.
Speaking while flagging-off te distribution for the 2012 SURE-P youth and women empowerment programme, Governor Yero said the occasion was set aside to present graduates of the various training schemes with support towards meeting the critical requirement of seed capital for starting viable businesses that will contribute to
the rapid economic development of the state and reduce unemployment rate.
He said the state government has concluded plans to engage 2,550 youths using the 2013 SURE-P funds. The youths, he said, would be drawn from the 255 wards across the state with 40% of them women.
“They would provide community development services within their respective wards in the areas of sanitization of major roads and public institutions, provision of security, control of human and vehicular traffic especially during occasion and public functions, sensitization/enlightenment, advocacy on peace etc.
Under this programme, each participating graduate will receive an allowance of N30, 000 from the Federal Government and a stipend of N10, 000 from the state totaling, N40, 000.00 monthly. They would be paid an allowance of N10, 000 monthly with effect from April, 2014.
“It may also interest you to know that the state and the Bank of Agriculture have jointly set aside the sum of N500 million each, (amounting to N1 billion), to disburse as loans to small-scale farmers.
In addition to this, a similar funding arrangement with the Bank of Industry provides another N1 billion to be disbursed to small-scale businesses/ entrepreneurs in the state.
Governor Yero further warned the beneficiaries should not sell the Starter Packs given to them, as doing so would defeat the essence of the programme.
7600 youths and women were empowered in 32 trades of Poultry, Photography, Fishery, Maize Production, Sugar cane production, cassava production, Irrigation farming, Bee-keeping, Animal husbandry, Fish Processing, GSM repair, Plumbing works, Block making, brick laying, Horticulture, Printing, Leather works, Aluminium works, Vegetable processing, Hair dressing, Tie and dye, Rice milling, amongst others.
Various other items were distributed to the beneficiaries as SURE-P.
