Delta State government on Monday said it had as of April 30, 2016, created a total of 17,173 private sector jobs.
BusinessDay reports that the state governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, said this at a press conference to mark the first year anniversary of his administration in Asaba, the state capital.
The figure consists of 6,800 direct jobs and 10,373 indirect jobs of both skilled and unskilled workers, Okowa said.
The governor said the office of the Chief Job creation officer, which served as a special purpose vehicle, accounted for 7,522 of these jobs while the remaining 9,651 were created through projects, programmes and initiatives implemented through the various MDAs.
The Delta State Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency has been restructured and repositioned to make it more responsive towards the needs and aspirations of the poor, women and vulnerable in the society so that they can prosper from the global economy, he said.
He also said that from May 2015 to April 30, 2016, N546 million was disbursed to a total of 3,110 persons within the various micro, small and medium enterprises.
He listed the beneficiaries of the financial empowerment to include 2,052 females, representing 66 percent of the loan recipients, and 1,058 males, representing 34 percent.
He said the ratio was in compliance with CBN regulations that 60 percent of micro credit should go to women, giving the breakdown of the different sectors percentage as – cottage industries 6 percent, trading 29 percent, agriculture 41 percent, agro-processing 16 percent, and services 8 percent.
On achievements recorded in investment in agricultural sector, the governor said tractors were distributed to 64 cooperative societies, 106 cooperative societies got melon shellers, while 18 other cooperative societies received outboard engines and fishing gears support packages.
He further added that improved variety of cassava cuttings, fertilizer and cash were distributed and disbursed to 475 cassava farmers; 100 fishery farmers were given fingerlings, feeds and cash; 100 poultry farmers were supported with 200-day-old chicks each, feeds and cash; 50 poultry layer farmers got 200 layers each, feeds and cash; 50 piggery farmers received 10 growers, feeds and cash, while 40 tomatoes farmers were supported with seedlings, agrochemicals and cash.
He assured that his government would continue to deepen the agricultural value chain to modernise and grow the agricultural sector for the benefit of current and future generations of Deltans.
__________
Follow us on Twitter at @thesignalng
Copyright 2015 SIGNAL. Permission to use portions of this article is granted provided appropriate credits are given to www.signalng.com and other relevant sources.
