Kano Trains, Facilitates 600 Persons for Ja’iz Bank Soft Loans
In an attempt to further support citizens in the area of economic independence, the Kano State Government has facilitated the training of over 600 Medium and Small Enterprises (MSMEs), through its Cottage Industries and Street Hawkers Directorate, showcasing its feat in 11 months of establishment.
The directorate which also aimed to achieve business continuity and efficiency is also in a pact with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) Micro Finance Bank and Development Finance Office of CBN to sustain the Business Clinic.
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Kano State, Abba Anwar, on Wednesday added that the CBN has recognised the Clinic as one of its approved Enterprise Development Institute (EDI) for all CBN/NIRSAL loan applications.
Anwar in a statement said further that for an improved financial inclusion, Governor Ganduje directed that, awareness campaigns commence with Radio Kano, Abubakar Rimi Television (ARTV), Aminci Radio, Kano, Prestigious Bridge Institute, Kaduna and Enterprise Development Centre of Pan -Atlantic University, Lagos.
“The Kano State Business Clinic is in partnership with First Bank, one of the leading commercial banks in the country which have also opened accounts/BVN to MSMEs in Kano at no cost to them and over 5,000 MSMEs have benefitted from this singular exercise.
“For the street hawkers to be brought to limelight for enhancing their financial inclusion status, the Business Clinic has guided over 2500 hawkers and MSMEs in the Federal Government/CBN Survival Fund application.
The Clinic has also partnered with Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) which Kano Zonal Office has facilitated over 1,500 free business name registration for MSMEs in the state.
Thanking Governor Ganduje for his commitment to push entrepreneurs to a higher pedestal, the Director-General of the Directorate, Uba Tanko Mijinyawa (Danzainab) said NIRSAL MFB has agreed to add seven additional branches in the state- in Sabon Gari, Katsina road, Tudun Wada, Rano, Gwarzo, Gyadi-gyadi, and Bichi respectively.
He added that so far, four more additional branches were added already in Bompai, Sabon Gari, Rano, and Tudunwada.”
At the event was the Director-General of Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Dikko Umaru Radda, who is also one of their key partners in the sector.
He said that the partnership and coordination of the Kano town hall meeting with stakeholders on their program called Artisan and Transport Support Scheme was for them to key into the MSME Survival Fund of the Federal government, thus paving the for many opportunities for the state.
He added: “The business clinic has so far registered over 25,000 active MSMEs in the state in which over 4,000 have been counseled and diagnosed by the consultant of the clinic, free of charge.”
According to him, “Governor Ganduje directed us to extend the operations of Business Clinic to all the 44 local governments in the state. And to also include civil servants who have attained 30 years of service.
“This is so that they can also benefit after their retirement. We also have registered participants in the various empowerment programmes of the state government.
“To also reach people at the grassroots, the Directorate has introduced outreach business clinics in Ganduje town, Dawakin Tofa local government, as a pilot exercise.
“More than 400 women and men were sensitized and diagnosed. They all secured opportunities to open accounts with our business clinic partners, First Bank of Nigeria, with BVN all at no cost to them” he explained.
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