NDE Trains 1,000 Entrepreneurs On NIRSAL/ AGSMEIS Loan In Oyo

From Rotimi Agboluaje, Ibadan

THE National Directorate of Employment ( NDE) said it has trained no fewer than 1,000 entrepreneurs on the process of accessing the Agri- Business/ Small and Medium Enterprises Investment Scheme ( AGSMEIS) loan.

Oyo State Director of the NDE, Mrs Olayemi Olayinka, disclosed this during the fourth cycle training for some of the entrepreneurs in Ibadan, Oyo State.

AGSMEIS is a loan facility of Nigeria Incentive- Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending ( NIRSAL Bank).

According to her, the training would enable participating entrepreneurs to prepare a bankable feasibility reports and business plans, which were in tune with extant needs of the people.

She said such participants would be shortlisted for the CBN- NIRSAL/ AGSMEIS loan, “currently, over 250 beneficiaries who have so far uploaded their business’ plans to the NIRSAL website are on the verge of accessing their loans.”

The Director also stated that the NDE recently concluded a five- day training programme for 50 women, tagged: “COVID- 19 mitigation training on spices production.” According to her: “COVID - 19 is a pandemic that struck the world in every aspect of human endeavor, ranging from health to all other aspects. The viral disease, which has claimed millions of lives around the world, is yet to get cure and findings have shown that only natural elements can be used to mitigate the effect of the virus.

“As a result of that, the NDE designed the COVID19 training in spices production, for the women to enhance positive change in the world.”

Olayemi further stated that the spices production training was part of the renewed efforts of the government geared towards encouraging homemade products, thereby reducing importation of household cooking ingredients.