Over 30,000 people to benefit from FG survival fund
— Manager. [Twitter/@SurvivalFund_ng]
The Small and Medium Enterprises Development
Agency (SMEDAN) says over 30,000 persons will
benefit from the ongoing National Survival Fund
Program (NSFP) in Benue.
The NSFP Manager in the state, Mr Oryima Alu,
who is also the Point of Contact, National MSME
Survival Fund in the state, disclosed this on
Monday in Makurdi during a town hall meeting
with leaders of artisans and transport scheme
operators.
Alu said that over 30,000 people would benefit
from the various components of the Survival Fund
Program.
Giving the breakdown, he said a total of 13,000
would benefit from the payroll support for MSMEs,
5,000 from general MSME grants, 6,606 from
formalization support while 9,000 from artisans/
transport grants.
Alu said the allocations for the state across the
various components were inadequate following the
large number of people in each category but he said
there was a possibility of expanding the program
He said the town hall meeting was meant to
educate the people on the benefits of the program,
explaining that the entire program was free.
Alu said the component dealt directly with grants
that would go to artisans and transport cadres,
most of whom were members of associations that
were not aware of the benefits of the program.
He said each of the artisans and transport support
beneficiaries would earn N30,000 for three months.
“The essence of this meeting is to sensitize relevant
stakeholders that have roles to play in creating
awareness about Federal Government programs for
MSMEs.
“The concern of government is to provide critical
and timely support that can improve conditions of
living for every Nigerian, most especially, following
the lockdown necessitated by COVID-19,” Alu said.
Earlier, the Principal Special Senior Assistant to the
governor on MSMES, Mr Emmanuel Donghdongh
assured that the Survival Fund Program would not
be hijacked in the state.
Donghdongh explained that the program was aimed
at supporting small scale businesses to improve
their lot.
He said though the support was small, it must get
across all the target groups adding that all
registration and processing of the entire program
were free.
Speaking to NAN, a participant, Mr Ahmed Musa,
State Secretary, Nigeria Automobile Technician
Association said over 1,000 of his members would
apply for the scheme.
Musa said the funds would help them to procure
tools and he commended the Federal Government
for remembering the poor in the country.