Kogi state empowers women and youth in agribusiness
The Kogi State Agro-Processing, Productivity Enhancement and Livelihood Support (APPEALS) has begun the disbursement of grants to beneficiaries of the APPEALS-Women and Youth Empowerment Programme (WYEP) in the state.
The grant is being facilitated by the APPEALS Project and made available to beneficiaries to kick start their agribusiness as part of its objectives of job creation opportunities and the economic empowerment of women and youths in the state.
This was after the completion of business name registration with the Corporate Affairs Commission, bank account opening and the approval of the first batch of Business and Investment Plan by the World bank through the National Coordinating office of the APPEALS project.
The APPEALS State Project Coordinator, Dr Sanni Abdullahi Ozomata assured beneficiaries that all hands are on deck to fast track the grant disbursement process to all beneficiaries in due course.
He, however, noted that grant disbursement to beneficiaries is done after the completion of the business name registration process, account opening and the approval of the Business and Investment Plan.
In another development, Kogi APPEALS held an interactive meeting with service providers towards the effective implementation of the Women and Youth Empowerment Programme (WYEP).
The objective of the meeting was to sensitize service providers on the implementation guidelines under the women and youth empowerment programme following the disbursement of funds into beneficiaries accounts for the establishment of their Agribusinesses.
The APPEALS state project coordinator Dr Ozomata said the meeting was necessary to ensure that the office and service providers are on the same page in terms as its relates to the development of the various agribusiness enterprise of the beneficiaries.
He said that having gone through rigorous processes of recruitment it will be unwise for the beneficiaries to sell of the support that will be facilitated by the project instead of using it as an opportunity to empower themselves.
He decried the situation were service providers will connive with beneficiaries to shot change the project and warned that the project will not tolerate any fraudulent act either from the service provider or the beneficiaries. He advised all parties to adhere to the rules of the game to avoid being found wanting.
The state project coordinator assured participants that the state coordination office will ensure that it fulfills its own part in ensuring that the implementation process is fair to all.
In his welcome address the Women and Youth/Livelihood Specialist, Umar Odekina said service providers are key in the project implementation process as the occupy the driver seat for the Women and Youth Empowerment process.
He said it is necessary for them to be sensitized on the community based procurement system of the project.
In his presentation, the Procurement officer of Kogi State APPEALS project Mallam Usman Abdul said the community based procurement system of the project is the practice that gives the beneficiaries control of decisions and resources in choosing the service providers that will work for them and monitor them for efficiency.
He said service providers that would be engaged by the project must be financially capable to carry out activities as at when due as payment will only be done upon completion of the activity.
