Kebbi  Injects N3bn into NG-CARES, to Grant Loans to Micro, Small Businesses

Ismail Adebayo in Birnin Kebbi

Kebbi State Government last Wednesday said it has injected N3billion in the federal government NG-CARES programme to cushion the effects of COVID-19 pandemic in the state.

It said the vulnerable, micro and small businesses in the state would be granted loans to revive their businesses affected by the pandemic.

The state Commissioner for Commerce and Industries, Alhaji Ibrahim Garba Geza, disclosed this at a one-day sensitisation workshop on the ‘Roles and Responsibilities of Local Government Leads and Gender Officers in NG-CARES Result Area 3(MSE)’, organised by Result Area 3 Deliverance Platform in Birnin Kebbi.

The commissioner explained that NG-CARES programme was an intervention intended to cushion the effects of COVID-19 pandemic which affected the economy and livelihood of the people.

Geza said the intervention was done through 3 Result Areas including Cash Transfer/CSDA, Fadama and MSE unit targeting access to livelihood support, food security services and grants for poor and vulnerable household and firms (MSE).

He said the Result Area 3 was specifically targeting vulnerable, micro and small businesses in the state affected by COVID-19 pandemic.

According to him, “Affected businesses are to be provided with grants to lessen the effects of the pandemic and allow them to retain their employees and resume activities.”

The commissioner pointed out that Result Area 3 was structured with Leads and Gender officers in the 21 local government areas of the state for total coverage and effective performance in the delivery of the programme.

The Head of Relief for the programme, Danladi Aliyu Dabai, said the workshop was to sensitise Leads and Gender officers in the 21 local government areas of the state on how to carry out the selection of the affected ones in their areas.

He urged the participants to be more attentive and committed to the duties they are expected to carry out in their respective areas.