Layi Olanrewaju, Ilorin
The Kwara State government plans to disburse about N1billion as soft loans to over 1, 000 traders, marketers and artisans under a new social investment program to be launched in the state.
The state governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, told journalists at a breakfast meeting held yesterday, that the funds would be disbursed through the Kwara State Social Investment Programme (KWASSIP). He said the proposal for the establishment of KWASSIP under consideration by the State House of Assembly.
“Under the Kwara State Social Investment Programme, for instance, we plan to spend N1billion to help traders and artisans with soft loans,” said AbdulRazaq.
“We are looking at roughly 1,000 beneficiaries of such soft loans. We cannot watch while our people are suffering. We have to do something in that regard,” he said.
He said the World Bank had indicated interest in supporting the scheme, which he said is the first of such state-led initiative modelled after the Federal Government’s Social Investment Programme.
The governor said he was committed to the human capital and infrastructural development of the state. According to him, putting the right infrastructure on ground would go a long way in attracting investments and creating jobs for indigenes of the state.