The Kwara State government has disbursed N268.6 million to 3,740 artisans and small business owners under its Micro-Credit Intervention Scheme for Small and Medium Scale Enterprises.

The amount represents the first tranche of the N500 million intervention launched by Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed last April.

A breakdown of the figure shows that the amount was disbursed to 374 beneficiary cooperatives comprising multipurpose societies, farmer associations, transporters and artisans.

The state has also set up a committee to review the performance of Ministries, Departments and Agencies in line with the state Medium Term Sectoral Strategy (MTSS).

The state government said the N268 million was disbursed through the 10 micro finance banks short-listed for the exercise by the state government during the launch of the Micro Credit Intervention Scheme by the governor.

The disclosure was made yesterday in a statement issued in Ilorin by Ahmed’s Senior Special Assistant on Media, Dr. Muideen Akorede.

The state government commended the beneficiaries for keeping to the repayment schedule, adding that another set of beneficiary co-operatives would soon be empowered under the scheme.

The government also announced plans to implement the next stage of the scheme, which is targeted at providing micro credit to entrepreneurs across the state as part of the government’s efforts to enhance the capacity of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises to economically empower the people and stimulate economic development under shared prosperity.

Ahmed kicked off the N500 million scheme in April with a pledge to boost the capacity of SMEs in the state based on their strategic role in economic development. He also announced plans to accelerate commercial farming in the state with a N750 million intervention scheme for farmer cooperatives. Already, the government has started verifying the farmer groups as a prelude to disbursing the funds to qualifying farmers.

Inaugurating the committee yesterday in Ilorin, the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Isiaka Gold, who is also the chairman of the committee, said as the administration had reached it first year in office, it was necessary to review the activities of its key bodies in order to enhance performance towards meeting government’s stated objectives.

Outlining the committee’s terms of reference, Gold said it was to assess the performance of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in the state based on their compliance with the MTSS.

The committee is also to identify an implementation road map for MDAs for the next year based on current realities and needs of the people of Kwara State.

The MTSS, he said, was the  administration’s four-year rolling plan which outlined the policies, programmes and key performance indicators for implementation by relevant bodies.

Gold charged members to see their assignment as a call to duty and approach their deliberations with diligence, objectivity and fairness bearing in mind that Governor Ahmed was focused on delivering shared prosperity to the people on a timely and efficient basis.

Members of the committee include the Head of Service, Alhaji Dabarako Mohammed; the Commissioner for Works and Transport, Dr. Abubakar Kannike; Special Adviser on Communication and Strategy to the Governor, Alhaji Raheem Adedoyin and the Director General of the Bureau of Lands, Mr. Tope Daramola.

Others are Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Primary Health, Prof. Babatunde Opabola; Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communication, Dr. Muyideen Akorede; Senior Special Assistant on SMEs, Alhaji Lukman Adams and Senior Special Assistant, Investment and Strategy, Mr. Abayomi Ogunshola.