Kogi State Government has given N150,000 to each of 585 beneficiaries in its 21 Local Government Areas to expand their businesses.
This was made known by the Head of Delivery Platform for Social Transfer and Livelihood Grants, Mr Kehinde Olorunmosunle, while speaking with journalists in Lokoja on Saturday, saying that the beneficiaries were between 18 years and 35 years of age.
The beneficiaries, according to him, which are mainly petty traders, artisans and small business owners got the grants after receiving training under the state’s “Livelihood Grants’’ programme on how to expand their businesses.
He described the beneficiaries as agile people that are able to run around and do business.
“They are petty traders, artisans, hairdressers, bakers, and fashion designers, among others.
“The training is meant to continue to remind the beneficiaries of the need to use the money judiciously.
“The beneficiaries had earlier been trained on what was expected of them and their businesses before getting the money.
“We went into their communities to confirm the authenticity of their various businesses before releasing the grant to them.
“Immediately the money was given to them, we also moved into the communities to monitor how they applied the funds,’’ he said.
Olorunmosunle then admonished the beneficiaries to judiciously utilize the grants and not to divert them to frivolities.
He thanked the Kogi government for the timely release of funds that had enabled Kogi citizens to benefit from the grants.
He also commended the Federal Government and the World Bank for the initiative, saying it had yielded tangible results in Kogi.
Some of the beneficiaries, Mr Musa Abah, Miss Rejoice Thomas, and Miss Medinat Kabiru expressed gratitude to the World Bank, and the Federal and Kogi governments for the kind gesture.
