Bayelsa: 210 Indigenes Receive N42 Million Cash Grant

A N42 million cash grant has been given to 210 indigenous small-scale entrepreneurs on Thursday in Yenagoa.

Each beneficiary got N200,000 in the monthly programme introduced by Gov. Douye Diri during his second-year anniversary in February 2022.

Faith Opuene, Commissioner for Women, Children Affairs and Empowerment, speaking at the occasion, said the gesture is borne out of the need to assist indigenous entrepreneurs to expand their businesses and is also part of the government’s empowerment programme for women and youths.

According to Opuene, small businesses in Bayelsa are dominated by non-indigenes, hence the need to assist indigenes to grow and expand their businesses in the state.

She explained that a male and a female beneficiary were chosen from the 105 political wards in Bayelsa's eight Local Government Areas.

She added that the selection committee consists of seven members put in place to ensure that no beneficiary drew the cash more than once.

Opuene said that the biometrics of the beneficiaries were taken before the disbursement to check multiple payments.

“The economy of our state is not in our hands because ours is a civil service state and the small businesses space is dominated by people from outside Bayelsa who drive our economy.

“This empowerment scheme is aimed at encouraging our people to be part of our state's economy,’’ Opuene said.

She urged the beneficiaries to deploy the funds judiciously, adding that there were plans to monitor their performance.

The commissioner said that only those who grew their businesses would benefit from the plans.

Igbadiwei James, a Southern Ijaw Local Government Area beneficiary, expressed appreciation for the gesture and noted that the scheme is all-inclusive as rural dwellers also benefitted.

“This empowerment will go a long way in bringing prosperity, which the present administration is preaching across all nooks and crannies of Bayelsa.

“I am a civil engineer but I had to resort to selling clothes.

“I will inject this grant into my traditional clothing and textiles business this on-coming Christmas season and by the grace of God I expect a bumper harvest at the end of the yuletide season,” James said.