500 women, youths benefit from NDE empowerment scheme

No fewer than 500 women and youths in Gombe State have benefitted from N5 million disbursed by the National Directorate for Employment (NDE), as a loan to start a micro business.

The sum of N10, 000 was presented to each beneficiary by Umar Usman KukanDaka, Technical Assistant to the Permanent Secretary State House, which he said was an initiative of the NDE to alleviate poverty in the country. He said the loan under the Micro Economic Enhancement Scheme (MEES),was to help people, particularly youths and women, who have small business to be able to boost their businesses.

“We have targeted 5000 people and given them 10, 000 each to see how far that can go in improving their businesses and alleviate their suffering. The money is a loan through the NDE to be paid after the business picks up,” Kukan-Daka said.

According to him, they have the data base of the beneficiaries and they will be monitored to see how far they have fared in utilising the loan.

He added that another 500 people were trained under the Entrepreneurship Skill Development programme that will also be given loan to start businesses.

The technical assistant called on the beneficiaries to utilize the resources given to them, so that it can impact positively in their lives.

Umar Kukan-Daka added that the federal government is coming up with different programmes for the teeming unemployed youths to make them selfreliant.