Kwara State governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, on Wednesday, flagged off the disbursement of non-interest loans to another round of 30,000 beneficiaries of the social investment programme.
This brings the number of beneficiaries to 60,000 since the scheme kicked off in 2020.
“Between 2020 and now, we have disbursed soft loans to 30,000 beneficiaries. Today’s event marks the commencement of a fresh disbursement of the loans to another set of 30,000 beneficiaries across Kwara State,” AbdulRazaq said in Ilorin at the grand activation of ‘Owo Isowo’ non-interest loans for beneficiaries from Kwara Central.
“This initiative attests to the administration’s policy of gender inclusion, women empowerment, and poverty alleviation. Beneficiaries of Owo Isowo and Owo Arugbo have been 90% women,” the governor added.
AbdulRazaq explained that the scheme, which comes in four categories, was designed to fight extreme poverty and stimulate small businesses by providing the beneficiaries with interest-free loans.
He added thatnthe ‘Owo Arugbo’ component, which has some 10,000 beneficiaries across the state, seeks to support the elderly and the weak in a way that neither threatens their lives nor degrades their human dignity as senior citizens.
“The (whole of the) programmes seek to lift people from extreme poverty. KWASSIP comes in four components, including Owo Isowo and Owo Arugbo. Owo Arugbo supports our vulnerable elders in a dignified way. We have made sure that these elders do not have to lose their lives or human dignity before accessing this support from the government. That is one of those things that stand us apart from the dark era that Kwara has exited,” he said.
