Market women in Edo state have hailed the President Muhammadu Buhari-led federal government and the state governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, for ensuring that traders in the state benefit from TraderMoni, a component of the National Social Investment Programme. A cross-section of the women, who spoke to journalists, said the loan will enable them to expand their businesses, adding that the disbursement was a departure from the past, where governments would promise and fail Nigerians.
President, Edo Market Women Association, Mrs Blacky Omoregie commended the vice president for visiting the state and ensuring the scheme was implemented in the state.
She noted, “Traders have started receiving credit alerts from TraderMoni.
The N10,000 will go a long way in helping members of our association increase their business capital.
“ When we heard about the scheme, we thought it won’t be implemented because we have had cases of governments promising to give traders loans and they eventually failed to do so.
“So we are very happy to see that the vice president came to visit us at the market and gave us money to trade with.”
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who visited traders at Oba Market and Ekiosa market in Benin City, urged them to make good use of the TraderMoni loan given to them so they could benefit from the next stages of the scheme.
The vice president was accompanied by the Governor Godwin Obaseki and his deputy, Rt Hon Philip Shaibu, and were welcomed by the jubilant market women and men.
Interacting with one of the traders, the vice president tasked the traders to ensure they make best use of the loan, which they are expected to pay back, to qualify for the next stage of the TraderMoni scheme.
“When you pay back this N10,000, you get N15,000; when you pay back the N15,000, you get N20,000. You can get up to N100,000,” Osinbajo had noted.
Mrs Joyce Iyamu, a trader in Ekiosa Market, who sells crayfish, confirmed receiving credit alert from TraderMoni, which she said she would use to expand her business.
