Borno expended N3.42 billion to boost youths, women’s employment
By Tada Juthan, Maiduguri
Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State has said that N3.42 billion was expended on small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) to boost youth and women’s employment.
According to him, the SMEs contribute over 80 percent to the state’s local economy, including the reduction in poverty and youths’ restiveness.
Zulum unveiled the poverty-reduction measures on Wednesday in Maiduguri at the Coplad rice million factory sited on Bama Road.
“We’re mindful and committed to accord priority to SMEs’ role in job creation to eradicate poverty at the state and council levels,” noting that the engagement of youths in the various income-generating enterprises could also halt rural-urban migration.
Additionally, the governor said that job creation and poverty reduction are accorded priority as the state overcomes the over a decade-long Boko Haram insurgency that had claimed many lives and property.
He noted that the expended N3.42 billion on poverty reduction since 2020 was disbursed to 35,375 youths and women entrepreneurs.
He said the entrepreneurs are from the three senatorial districts, including the border communities of Damasak, Gambouru, and Gwoza with Niger and Cameroon.
Other associations and unions that benefited from the N3.42 billion empowerment grants include automobile, tricycle, and generator repairers, NURTW, youths, and traders’ development associations.
Zulum also directed the Commissioner of Commerce, Trade, and Investment, Tarpaya Asarya, to identify and recommend how the state government could support the rice milling plant in reviving the agricultural and livestock sectors.
“The Ministry of Agriculture is to provide the milling plant with paddy rice from the government’s stock that was locally produced by the local farmers,” he said.
He charged the management of Copland to sustain the million of rice so as to reduce the rising market prices of grains and other food items.
