Food security: NDE begins disbursement of soft loan for agribusiness in Taraba
By Terna Chikpa, Jalingo
The National Directorate of Employment NDE through the rural employment promotion department on Wednesday commenced the disbursement of soft loan for agribusiness and implementation of the SADTS, CBAES, GAES, SADES, and AES for trained youth in Taraba.
Alhaji Danjuma Shehu, State Coordinator while flagging off the disbursement in Jalingo, disclosed that the implementation of the 50 per cent budget release of the 2022 SADTS, CBAES, GAES, SADES and AES through the Rural Employment Promotion (REP), department has successfully implemented several cycles of the programme.
According to him, the soft loan with 9 per cent interest, is to be paid back within three years, with six months grace before commencement of the payment.
Shehu explained that the idea was to assist in empowering the graduated trainees to engage in agribusiness of their choice along their value chains of production, processing, packaging, Marketing and Consumption.
“For over the years, many of the trainees who passed out of the scheme have not received assistance to start their own agric-business. In an attempt to stem this trend and gives hope with an improved livelihood to the graduated trainees, the Rural Employment Promotion (REP), department has decided to design and implement the SADES, CBAES, GAES, SADES, and AES to engage the graduated trainees across the 16 local government areas of Taraba state.
“The schemes will assist in empowerment of the graduated trainees with soft loans to engage in agribusiness of their choice along their value chains of production, processing, packaging, Marketing and Consumption. The schemes will also create jobs, improve income and enhance the standard of living of the graduated trainees, reduced poverty and create wealth.
“The REP department is targeting the graduated trainees to drive rural economic growth, create wealth ensure food security, enhance environmental sustainability and reduce rural-urban drifts.
“The N100,000 loan per trainee attract an interest of 9 per cent and have a moratorium period of Six months before you would start paying back with a loan repayment period of three years. 42 trainees have been selected for this set of disbursement, It is important to emphasis to you that, it is not a national cake, paying back the loan would create opportunity for others to as well benefit and boost your chances for a higher loan” The state coordinator explained.
Meanwhile, Mallam Abubakar Fikpo, the Director General of the Directorate, represented by Hauwa Ibrahim Bassi, the Senior Ruler Imployment Promotion Officer, appealed to beneficiaries to see the loan as a life changing opportunity, as they are expected to use the money for the purpose intended.
