BY Demola Akinyemi

ILORIN—Kwara State government has concluded plans to obtain N750 million loan from the Bank of Industry, BoI, to promote Small and Medium Scale Enterprises, SMSEs, in the state.

Already, no fewer than 147 small scale business enterprise owners have benefited from the N250 million micro-finance funds provided by the state as soft loan to enable their businesses grow.

State Commissioner for Commerce and Co-operatives, Alhaji Saka Onimago made this known at a briefing in Ilori, yesterday, on the activities of his ministry in the last one year. Onimago said the Governor AbdulFatah Ahmed had also approved his ministry’s request to obtain the loan as a follow up to the loans granted the small scale businesses to grow the economy of the state.

He explained that the N250 million disbursed to co-operative societies in the state was a revolving loan, which was expected to go round as the beneficiaries paid back. He said 147 co-operative societies had so far benefited from the scheme, while 10 micro-finance banks were accredited for the loan disbursement to ensure probity and transparency.

Special Assistant to the Governor on Youths Employment, Alhaji Saka Babatunde, said the government had employed 2,000 youths under the Kwara State Bridge Empowerment Scheme, KWABES. He said over 42,000 youths had registered with KWABES out of which 1,000 of them would be given full employment in 10 days time.

The Commissioner for Agriculture, Alhaji Mohammed Baba-Kpan, said government had entered into partnership with some expatriates to further boost commercial agriculture and provide job opportunities.

for the people, adding that government would further develop six grazing reserves in the three senatorial zones of the state to minimise the incessant clashes between Fulani herdsmen and farmers in the state.