Date: 2017-01-27

The lingering cash squeeze has taken heavy tolls on some existing businesses while others willing to venture are also discouraged. The situation appears more prevalent among women. Against this background, the Kwara State government on Monday began disbursement of N41million Women Empowerment Fund recently launched in Ilorin. AHMED 'LATEEF reports.

In Nigeria today, the recession that afflicted the nation's economy like a "plague" has continued to generate ripples. It is a scenario that has become issue of discourse virtually in every strata of the society. This is due to the fact that many Nigerians are still shock with the disbelief of the nightmarish experience that has accompanied the situation.

On account of the economic downturn, many viable businesses crumbled like a pack of cards with attendant closure of shops and saturation of the labour market. The rate of unemployment as released by the National Bureau of Statistics showed a grim picture of an upward trend in the number job losses in recent times.

With the business closure and job losses syndrome, which indirectly provoked high level of poverty among the citizenry, Nigerians are appalled especially private business owners who were severely hit by the turn of event.

But mostly burdened by the situation were the female folk, whose businesses have continued to experience downward trend owing to the patronage that has ebbed to an unimaginable proportion.

Visits to markets across the country depicted the horrible scene. Some traders who could not bear the negative impact of the recession anymore had therefore opted to business closure pending when the situation will normalize, albeit no prediction of the actual time of the economic recovery.

The situation is not different either in Kwara State. The unavailability of funds has forced many members of business community to quit awaiting salvation. Be it in Ilorin, Offa, Omu-Aran and Gbugbu other business populated areas in the state, the same picture of low patronage of consumers or buyers of goods has been painted.

Affected mostly are the women widely acknowledged as home builders. Some of them also attributed their failings in the business world to lack of requisite capital to mitigate the effect of the recession. And this has consequently shored up the level of poverty among them.

And it is against this background that the Kwara State government recently launched a revolving credit scheme tagged "Kwara State Women Empowerment Scheme". The scheme, which was primarily designed for female folk, has beneficiaries across the 16 Local Government Areas of the state.

The state Governor, Dr Abdulfatah Ahmed, flagged off the credit facility few weeks ago to the admiration of women who thronged the state Banquet Hall, Opposite Government, Ilorin to witness the formal ceremony.

However, beneficiaries of the scheme after being credited on Monday, stormed KCMB Micro-Finance Bank, Ilorin to collect cash preparatory for the take-off of their businesses. When our correspondent visited the bank along Ibrahim Taiwo Road, some of them, who came from Kwara South, Kwara North and Kwara Central were being attended to.

Speaking with our correspondent, a beneficiary from Omu-Aran, Irepodun Local Government Area, Hajia Silifat Waheed, who deals in "Used Clothing Materials", praised the government with the credit facility but pleaded for more assistance in order to grow her business.

She stated that as a widow, she has been up and doing in catering for the needs of her children through the proceeds from her business, just as she pledged to repay the credit facility in line with the agreement.

Another beneficiary from Okelele in Ilorin East Local Government Area, Mrs Khadijat Alao, applauded the state government for taking a bold step in revitalizing businesses that had been ravaged by the present state of the economy.

She noted that many of them were already out of business due to lack of fund to meet some obligations in keeping tabs on the businesses.

"We want to thank the state government for not resting on its oars in tackling problems confronting women in the state. This is unprecedented in the history of the state. This gesture further showed the commitment of the state government to the welfare of the less privileged in the society.

A nylon trader, Mrs Kudirat Adebomi from Omu-Aran, Irepodun Local Government Area, also expressed delight over the gesture, saying it will go a long way in boosting her business.

Another respondent, Mrs Florence Olatunji, from Oko, Irepodun Local Government, who deals in food stuff, promised to meticulously utilize what she was given in the revolving scheme even though she received below what she applied for.

In an interview, the Managing Director, KCMB Micro-Finance Bank, Mr Abayomi Ajayi, said the bank had commenced disbursement of the fund to the beneficiaries in line with the directive of the state government.

He disclosed that a sum of N20million was released to the bank to kick-start the first phase of the N41million empowerment scheme.

Ajayi said, "The government is magnanimous to give out monies to empower the rural women and we are grateful that they are disbursing it through us (KCMB Micro-Finance).

"So far, N20million has been released by the government, we are expecting more, and we have started disbursing the money. In the last few weeks, people have come, we have done the documentation by confirming the status of the beneficiaries. We have people of varying professions like farmers, traders and rural women".

Also speaking, the state Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajia Ayinke Saka, said the rationale behind the scheme was to empower women socially and economically and change their lives for the better, adding that the fund if judiciously used, will make them to be self reliant.

She disclosed that beneficiaries of the fund cut across the 16 Local Government Areas of the state while selection was carried out based on the population strength of each council area.

The commissioner maintained that the beneficiaries were picked without recourse to the political, tribal or religious leanings, saying the yardstick was strictly on the residency in the state.

She stated further that the fund disbursement was channeled through the office of the Technical Adviser to the Governor on Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SME), adding that the process was transparently done.

Hajia Saka urged the beneficiaries to adhere to the rule of engagement and ensure timely repayment to allow others benefit from the scheme.

"On the issue of the empowerment programme in Kwara State, we thank Almighty God for making it a reality. It is the intention of the government of the state that all women in the state be empowered and improved socially and economically because we don't want women in our state begging around again.

"We want to make sure they have business of their own where they can realize certain amount of money to look after their children. The government approved N41million, which we eventually launched. It is to go across the 16 Local Government Areas of the state. We prepared forms and ensured that all women in the state, regardless of affiliations politically, tribe, creed and religion, are considered.

"As long as you are living in Kwara State whether by birth, marriage or whatever you are as women, you are entitled to benefit from the state government. So, we gave out forms to the 16 Local Government Areas on the ratio of 50, 30 and 20. That is the formula politically. The (Kwara) central is larger than the South while the South is larger than the North. So, we used that formula.

"Why I'm saying this is that some may not get the same amount of money. Equally, we have different number of wards in each local government. For example, Ilorin West has 12 wards whereas Asa, as big as it is, has 17 or 18 wards, but it is not as large as Ilorin West. The implication is that the amount the Ilorin West or East will take will be higher than that of even Moro with higher number of political wards. The formula is based on political strength.

"We are giving out the money to the beneficiaries through their local government areas, wards, associations and polling units. We told them this money is for them to start a business, no matter how small it is. Some required only N10,000 to start a business. If you manage and utilize the little very well, it will multiply in manifolds. It is not the money we are giving them that matters, we want to start them on a very solid foundation, and they will become somebody before we leave this government.

"350 people are benefiting across the 16 Local Government Areas of the state from the N41million. So far, so good, 152 have benefited. We gave them forms from the Ministry (of Women Affairs and Social Development), after filling the forms and returning it, we ensured that what they have given out is authentic in terms of their guarantors, locations, what they want to do with the money and the day they are going to refund it, because it is refundable. It has one year duration to be refunded. We have two tranches. This is the first tranche we are doing. And we have released N20million to the bank for onward disbursement.

"We are the one preparing names and others but the money disbursement is going to the SME through the Technical Adviser on SME, who took the money to the Micro Finance Bank. Once, we ascertain that the applicants are the authentic persons, because some of them will collect forms for another persons with the intention of taking money but the pictures in the forms do not correspond with the persons standing. We want to make sure that we give the money to the rightful owners that are supposed to benefit from the money", the commissioner said.