Nasarawa Agency Empowers 75 Less Privileged

The Nasarawa State Universal Basic Education Board (NSUBEB) has empowered 75 less privileged persons from Nasarawa North Senatorial District with business grants of N250,000 each.

The empowerment programme, which gulped N18.75 million, was flagged off in Akwanga by the state governor, Engr Abdullahi Sule.

Governor Sule, who flagged off the disbursement, said the initiative would help strengthen small-scale businesses, improve access to capital for petty traders and stimulate grassroots economic growth in the zone.

He lauded the executive chairman of the board, Dr Kassim Muh’d Kassim, for the humanitarian gesture and charged the beneficiaries to invest the money judiciously.

The governor said, “This is about the highest empowerment I have seen where an individual gives N250,000 each to beneficiaries. As Governor, I gave N15,000 each. The Federal Government, through the Renewed Hope Initiative, gave N50,000 each. This gesture by Dr Kassim is highly commendable.”

Earlier, Dr Kassim said the selection of beneficiaries cut across Wamba, Akwanga and Nasarawa Eggon Local Government Areas that make up the senatorial district and was done without political consideration.

“I do not know any of the beneficiaries personally. This is not for campaign and it is not based on party membership. It is purely to support the downtrodden who have no means of livelihood to start something,” he said.

Dr Kassim explained that the money was sourced from the proceeds of his personal business of supplying school wears to schools in Ghana.

He urged the beneficiaries to use the grants to start petty businesses in order to cushion the effect of the current economic challenges.

He disclosed that another phase of the empowerment programme would soon commence, targeting 300 persons from the three LGAs of the senatorial district with N50,000 each.

Some beneficiaries, including Usman Mohammed, Peter Joe and Ahmed Usuf, thanked the NSUBEB boss for the support and promised to make proper use of the funds.