The Bank of Industry said a total of 14,776 business owners in Ebonyi State benefited from the Federal Government’s Presidential Grants scheme in the state.

The BOI Manager in Ebonyi State, Chukwudo Asiegbu, disclosed this during a town hall meeting on the outcome of the grant scheme on Friday in Abakaliki.

Mr Asiegbu said that each beneficiary received N50, 000 amounting to N738.8 million.

He stated, “The beneficiaries cut across the 13 local government areas in the state; 14,776 individuals received a sum of N50, 000 each.’’

The manager added that the government also unveiled a N75 billion loan to support Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises nationwide.

He stated, “Today, we have a sensitisation programme and a town hall meeting to educate the general public about the Federal Government Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises. The programme has three arms; the first is the Presidential Grants Scheme which N738.8 million had already been disbursed. The second is the N75 billion MSMEs loan where business owners can receive up to N5 million. The third is also N75 billion manufacturers fund; this is designed to support industrial-scale enterprise. We have inaugurated the N75 billion loans nationwide; registered business owners can access a maximum of N5 million with a competitive interest rate of 9 per cent through BOI. The registration has started and this is for everybody so long as you have business you are doing; go online if you have a registered business in the state and you are an employer of labour.”

Earlier, the state governor, Francis Nwifuru, represented by the Commissioner for Human and Capital Development, Ann Aligwe, commended the Federal Government for the schemes and for supporting the citizens on ease of doing business.

An official of the Office of the Vice-President, Martin Zohu, said the town hall meeting was basically for the intervention of the Federal Government, including the grant and loan scheme for MSMEs.

A wig dealer, Nneka Ogbonna, who is a beneficiary of the N50,000 grant, thanked the Federal Government for the support, saying that the money helped to boost her business.

Another beneficiary and a native of Onicha local government, Chikaodili Emma, also expressed happiness for the support.

He said that he, his wife and sister-in-law got the N50,000 grant each.

Mr Emma, who deals in beverages, said that the money helped him to set up his business.

(NAN)