The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has offered N200 million in support to Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Bayelsa State.
Leader of the UNDP team, Joyce Oboro, who presented a cheque to Governor Douye Diri at the Government House in Yenagoa yesterday, said that the objective of the initiative, which was co-sponsored by the European Union (EU), is to mitigate the effect of the current socio-economic challenges through the empowerment of medium and small businesses across various sectors.
She said the components of the programme include financial support and capacity building, while the cluster-based approach will be adopted to achieve set objectives.
Expressing the optimism that the project will stimulate economic growth and improve the standard of living of Bayelsans, Oboro urged well-meaning groups and individuals to key into the project.
Diri, in his remarks, welcomed the partnership between the government and UNDP to develop MSMEs in the state.
The governor expressed delight over the partnership, saying that his administration is already doing a lot in developing and supporting MSMEs.
He said that in line with the prosperity mantra of his administration, the state government had trained many Bayelsans and empowered them with starter packs, as well as offered grants of N200,000 monthly to 420 small business owners across the 105 wards, as part of its effort to encourage small businesses.
He assured the UNDP delegation that the state would play its role in the partnership, insisting that his administration would take whatever would add value to the lives of Bayelsans seriously.
