By Philip Nwosu
Lagos State office of National Directorate of Employment (NDE) has commenced disbursement of loans to eligible artisans under the Special Public Works Department (SPW) in accordance with the vision statement of the directorate.
The disbursement, the NDE said, was in its bid to create employment, add value to the lives of citizens, increase their standard of living as well as ensure sustainable economic growth in the state.
The Director General, Abubakar Nuhu Fikpo, who was represented by the state Coordinator, Serena Olayebi Edward, while speaking at the ceremony in Lagos, reiterated that the essence of the programme is to assist artisans with soft loans and components to help boost their businesses.
She said the loan being disbursed came as a single digit repayment to be paid within a two year.
She encouraged the successful beneficiaries to endeavour to repay the loans, stating that the right mindset towards government interventions loan would see to the continued disbursement of loans from the Federal Government through NDE for others to benefit.
She said NDE was established by the Federal Government to combat mass unemployment and generate jobs for the masses, adding that the loan scheme was one of the many schemes of the directorate which are designed to empower eligible citizens.
“The environmental beautification training scheme under which the beneficiaries are being resettled today, harnesses the resources in our ecosystem in an eco-friendly way by training and now resettling 10 beneficiaries in tiling, eight beneficiaries in horticulture, eight beneficiaries in Plaster of Paris and 26 beneficiaries will be resettled with equipment components and cash components.”
She urged the beneficiaries to use the money given judiciously, especially the six-month moratorium period given and encouraged them to be good ambassadors of the NDE.
