The Director General of the National Directorate of Employment, Mallam Abubakar Fikpo, has appealed to the beneficiaries of NDE loans to pay back as at when due to enable others benefit.
Fikpo made the appeal on Friday while disbursing N4.2 million to 42 beneficiaries of NDE loan to farmers in Delta State under Sustainable Agricultural Development Empowerment Scheme, Graduate Agricultural Empowerment Scheme, Agricultural Enhancement Scheme and Community-Based Agricultural Empowerment Scheme.
Fikpo who was represented by the Deputy Director, Human Resources Headquarters of NDE, Mrs. Oyoyo Kate, said that the disbursement was going on across the 36 states.
Fikpo said, “It will interest you to note that NDE was established with the statutory responsibility to design and implement programmes that will combat mass unemployment in the country.
“I want to beg you that the loans we are giving you today is not a grant and it should be paid back as at when due so that those who were not privileged to benefit from this batch will have the opportunity to be empowered in the second phase of the loan disbursement.
“The loans are very flexible with six moratorium, 9 percent interest rate and repayable in three years.”
Fikpo commended the state governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, for supporting NDE programmes in the state.
In his remark, the Acting State Coordinator of the NDE, Mr. Onyeogo Sylvanus, added that the beneficiaries had trained in various schemes.
He said it was based on the training that they were being granted loan packages to enable them be established in agribusinessess.
He said the total of N4.2 million were disbursed to 42 beneficiaries with 100,000 each selected from those trained.
