The Bayelsa State Government on Thursday in Yenogoa gave cash grants totaling N42 million to 210 indigenous small business owners.
Each beneficiary received N200,000 as part of the monthly program Gov. Douye Diri established for his second year anniversary in February 2022.
The payment made on Thursday was for the month of September.
Speaking at the event, Mrs. Faith Opuene, Commissioner for Women, Children Affairs and Empowerment, said that the need to help indigenous business owners grow their enterprises was what inspired the gesture.
With yesterday’s beneficiaries, the Mrs. Faith Opene-led Committee have completed another round of payment for small-scale business owners across 105 wards with a sum of N200,000 each through the ongoing “Bayelsa Women and Youths Empowerment Program.”
The program is geared to encourage and support Bayelsans in business to thrive, stimulate and grow their local economy.
Payment is made to two persons each across the 105 wards, making it a total of 210 beneficiaries for September 2022.
So far, a total of 1,680 persons have been empowered since the program started in February 2022 during the second anniversary of the prosperity administration, and the empowerment is to run until the end of the first tenure of this administration.
Speaking during the event, Hon. Opene, disclosed that the Diri-led administration in the state prioritised youth and women’s empowerment, stating that the ongoing empowerment program is to encourage small-scale business owners to grow their businesses and own our local economy.
Opee said: “The prosperity administration believed that women and Youth empowerment is fundamental to economic development.”
She commended Governor Douye Diri for his outstanding dedication to matters pertaining to the empowerment of women and young people.
She urged recipients to use the grant money to expand their already successful businesses rather than squander it.
Ms. Boumokuma Sample, one of the recipients, expressed her gratitude to the Diri-led prosperity administration for providing her with a cash award of N200,000 so she could grow her fish business.
“I’ve never experienced this in Bayelsa. I appreciate His Excellency, Senator Douye Diri for this empowerment program. I pray for God to bless him and give him the wisdom to govern this state. We are expecting him to complete his eight years”, she said.
