By Balkis Tijani.
The Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, has revealed his administration is currently understudying the TraderMoni programme of the Federal Government, in a bid to replicate it in the state by extending soft loans to traders, and reduce mass poverty.
The governor made the disclosure today, through a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Rafiu Ajakaye.
According to the statement, Governor Abdulrazaq decided to adopt the scheme when he recently visited the headquarters of the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP) in Abuja.
GEEP, the statement added, are the implementers of the TraderMoni initiative.
“On Friday, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq visited the Abuja headquarters of the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP), the implementers of the TraderMoni initiative, with a view to replicate same in Kwara.
“After learning the back-end processes involved, we are looking at the possibility of starting the Kwara version of TraderMoni later this year after appropriate legislation and budgetary provisions,” the statement by Ajakaye read in part.
The CPS further highlighted that the governor who was accompanied by Mrs Maryam Uwais, former Special Adviser to the President on Social Investments, discussed partnership with GEEP on how Kwarans can access the micro loans, as well as the challenges of implementing the initiative in Kwara.