The Jigawa Government has spent N226.59 million on skills acquisition programmes in the state, the Commissioner for Economic Empowerment, Alhaji Rabi’u Isah, has said.
Isah disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Hadejia, at the graduation ceremony of 356 trainees of the skills acquisition programme.
He said the amount was spent on 1,636 beneficiaries who underwent training in various trades and skills, adding that of the amount, N35.6 million was disbursed as soft loans to the beneficiaries.
Isah said that the amount was disbursed through micro finance banks to the beneficiaries to establish their own businesses, adding that the balance was spent on training.
The commissioner said that the facility was a revolving loan scheme that was expected to be repaid within two years by the beneficiaries to ensure that others benefited.
Isah said that priority was given to the youths, women and the physically-challenged in the disbursement of the loans.
He said that the scheme was in line with the social security programme of Gov. Sule Lamido’s administration. (NAN)