The market women association, National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) and market associations are set to get N100 million from the Small and Mediumscale Enterprises (SMEs) Fund in Kwara State.
The state governor, Dr Abdulfatah Ahmed, disclosed the approval for the fund’s release during a meeting with artisans and other stakeholders at the banquet hall in Ilorin.
He said beneficiaries of the SME fund would henceforth be treated on the basis of associations.
He said also that all illegal parks in the state would be abolished.
Ahmed who said the fund was in fulfilment of his pledge, noted that “the SME funding we promised the market association is ready for collection. Other support required by the different associations in form of buses, secretariat and other minor supports, would also be attended to.”
The governor gave assurance that the interactive meeting would be held on a monthly basis to review activities, stressing that governance required inclusiveness.
The Director-General, Bureau of SME in the state, Mr Segun Soewu, recalled that about N2.2 billion had been committed to SME in the state.
The National Secretary of NURTW, Alhaji AbdulRasheed Aliu, appealed to the government to put an end to illegal registration of taxis to combat crime in the state.
The Iyaloja-in-General for the state, Alhaja Adenike Ibrahim, requested the governor to immediately redeem the promise of N100m SME funding and commended him for the developmental projects across the state.
