Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, on Thursday disbursed financial grants to 2,000 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in the state to grow their businesses and cushion the effects of the economic hardship.

Mr Oborevwori speaking during the disbursement ceremony of the ‘MORE Business Upscale Programme’ (MORE BIZ-UP) in Asaba, said the gesture was designed to empower the entrepreneurs to cushion effects of the economic hardship in the country.’’

He said, “The MORE Business Upscale Programme, otherwise known as MORE Biz-Up, is one of the job creation programmes initiated in line with the MORE Agenda of my administration. As the name implies, MORE Biz-Up is aimed at providing stimulus in the form of financial grants to MSMEs in the state in order to grow their businesses and to cushion the effects of the harsh economic realities in our nation. The MORE Biz-Up is like other job creation programmes of the state government, such as the D-CARES, MORE Grant, MORE WESAP, among others. The programme is strategically planned and designed as a testament of my administration’s commitment to empower small businesses, fast-track economic growth and to foster development in the state.”

The governor urged the beneficiaries to take the knowledge garnered from the ‘MORE Business School’ component of the programme to advance their businesses and leverage on networking amongst participants.

Mr Oborevwori noted, “Your success as entrepreneurs is crucial to the economic development of our state and which will further inspire other young entrepreneurs to follow in your footsteps. Therefore, I urge you to work hard to sustain your businesses. We shall continue to support your entrepreneurship journey.

”Out of a pool of over 10,000 applicants, you are blessed to be among the chosen. The 2,000 beneficiaries of the programme gathered here today are in two groups. One thousand business owners are drawn from a database of fresh applicants who have never benefited from the state government’s job creation and entrepreneurship programmes.

And another 1,000 past beneficiaries who were verified by the Directorate of Youth Monitoring and Mentoring. I expect you to make judicious use of the grant by applying it wisely and responsibly to your business. It is my earnest prayer that your businesses grow from strength to strength.”

Earlier, the State Chief Job and Wealth Creation Officer, Ifeanyi Egwuyenga, said the strategy of the ‘MORE Business Upscale Programme focused on stimulating economic growth by equipping entrepreneurs with advanced business knowledge, and injecting financial stimulus in the form of grants into small businesses.

Mr Egwuyenga said, “This new phase of grants under the MORE programme is clear evidence of our government’s unwavering commitment to nurturing entrepreneurs. In turn, this drives economic growth and advances the “Advancing Delta’ mantra of the MORE Agenda.”

In his goodwill message, Chairman of Artisans Association in the state, Ifeanyi Abanum, thanked Governor Oborevwori for the various empowerment programmes of his administration which, they said, had brought succour to Deltans.

Mr Abanum therefore, urged beneficiaries of the ‘MORE Biz-up programme and other empowerment programmes of the state government to make judicious use of the facilities given to them to strengthen their entrepreneurial drive.

He said this would enable them to contribute meaningfully to the development of the state.

Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, Meshack Okeoghene, thanked the governor for empowering them.

He said that the state government’s gesture would serve as a catalyst to stimulate the growth of their respective businesses.

(NAN)