Gombe Govt Funds 573,000 Young Entrepreneurs and Farmers

Rebecca Mu’azu, Gombe

The Go-CARES program, initiated by the Gombe State Government to provide Operational Support Grants and IT enhancement to Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), has disbursed support funds to 573,429 poor and vulnerable young entrepreneurs and rural farmers in the state.

The program, implemented through various result areas under GO-CARES, aims to ensure beneficiaries receive assistance from several initiatives across three key focus areas.

During the program’s launch, flagged off by the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Mr. Salihu Baba-Alkali, on behalf of Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, it was announced that additional farm inputs and agricultural assets would be distributed to the less privileged.

The continued implementation of various projects under the GO-CARES program, particularly the three result areas, was done under the Governor’s directive.

Mr. Alkali noted that this 4th phase of the program is particularly significant because it involves implementing all three result areas simultaneously.

Beneficiaries, carefully selected from the Social Register, will receive Cash Transfer grants, Livelihood Grants, Labour-Intensive Public Workfare, Agricultural Inputs and Assets, Operational Grants for Nano, Micro, and Small businesses, and IT Enhancement Grants for ICT-related enterprises across the state.

Additionally, several communities will benefit from projects such as classroom blocks, healthcare facilities, water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) facilities, and the construction or rehabilitation of earth dams, culverts, and drainage systems under the rural infrastructure component.

“All these projects have a direct impact on the poor and vulnerable, and they are central to Governor Yahaya’s vision for Gombe State,” Mr. Alkali said.

Under the 4th phase of GO-CARES, 573,429 individuals will benefit directly and indirectly from the program. Of this total, 152,429 people will directly benefit from various support measures, while 421,000 will benefit indirectly through basic services and rural infrastructure improvements in their communities.

Mr. Alkali expressed confidence that if beneficiaries utilise the support properly, the program would significantly alleviate poverty, enhance small businesses, increase IT access, and contribute to Gombe State’s overall economic growth.

A summary of the beneficiaries under the program include:

– **State Cash Transfer Grants:** 2,500 direct beneficiaries
– **Labour-Intensive Public Works:** 2,700 direct beneficiaries
– **Livelihood Grants:** 10,000 direct beneficiaries
– **Basic Services:** 405,000 indirect beneficiaries
– **Agricultural Inputs & Services:** 125,729 direct beneficiaries
– **Rural Infrastructure:** 16,000 indirect beneficiaries
– **Agricultural Assets:** 9,000 direct beneficiaries
– **Operational Grants for Businesses:** 1,300 direct beneficiaries
– **IT Enhancement Grants:** 700 direct beneficiaries

He emphasised Governor Yahaya’s commitment to alleviating poverty and accelerating economic development, ensuring that the less privileged are included in the state’s growth.

Dr. Barnabas, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, and Cooperatives, represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr. Ibrahim Yakubu, urged beneficiaries to make the most of the support provided, and discouraged them from selling the items they received.

Mallam Haruna Ahmed Imam, General Manager of the Gombe State Agency for Community and Social Development, one of the implementing platforms of Go-CARES, mentioned that 100 communities would benefit from the 4th phase. These projects are expected to improve community infrastructure and services significantly.

The Emir of Gona, His Royal Highness Umar Abdulsalam, expressed gratitude for choosing Gona as a beneficiary location, thanking the government and stakeholders for their efforts in implementing the program.

One of the beneficiaries, Khadija Mohammed Jallo, a Pharmacy student at Gombe State University, received a laptop and thanked the government, noting that the computer had greatly enhanced her studies.