Seventy-five less-privileged residents of Nasarawa North Senatorial District have received a total of ₦18.75 million in business grants to improve their livelihoods and support small-scale enterprises.
The beneficiaries received ₦250,000 each under an empowerment initiative organised by the Executive Chairman of the Nasarawa State Universal Basic Education Board (NSUBEB), Dr Kassim Muhammed-Kassim.
The programme was officially launched on Saturday in Akwanga Local Government Area by the Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule.
Sule commended the NSUBEB chairman for supporting vulnerable members of society, describing the initiative as one of the significant empowerment programmes he had witnessed.
He urged the beneficiaries to invest the money wisely, particularly in petty businesses, so that the grants could provide sustainable sources of income.
“This is about the highest empowerment programme I have seen so far where each person benefited N250,000,” the governor said, while expressing appreciation to Muhammed-Kassim for the gesture.
He also encouraged the beneficiaries to grow their businesses substantially, praying that each person would be able to turn the ₦250,000 grant into ₦250 million.
Speaking at the event, Muhammed-Kassim said he had no personal relationship with the beneficiaries and that they were selected based on assessments indicating that they would use the funds responsibly.
He stressed that the initiative was not politically motivated and that beneficiaries were not selected based on party affiliation.
According to him, the money was generated from proceeds of his clothing business, which involved supplying clothes to schools in Ghana.
Muhammed-Kassim urged the beneficiaries to see the grants as an opportunity to build sustainable businesses and improve the welfare of their families.
He said, “This gesture is designed to provide direct support to the less-privileged members of society who do not have any means of livelihood to start up a business in order to cushion the effect of the prevailing economic challenges.”
He further disclosed plans to launch another empowerment programme in which 300 people from Wamba, Akwanga and Nasarawa Eggon Local Government Areas would receive ₦50,000 each.
Some beneficiaries, including Usman Mohammed, Peter Joe and Ahmed Usuf, expressed appreciation to the NSUBEB chairman and pledged to use the funds for the intended purpose.
They said the assistance would provide them with an opportunity to establish businesses, improve their livelihoods and create better economic opportunities for their families.
