By RAYMOND OZOJI, Awka

Effective cooperative societies, small and medium scale enterprises in Anambra State are to benefit from federal government’s 50 billion naira grant domiciled in the Nigerian Export Promotion Council.

Mrs. Jane Ohiri who disclosed this to our correspondent at King David hotel Awka during a sensitization programme for cooperative societies in the state, said over 100 active cooperatives stand to benefit from the money afore stated.

Ohiri who is the state head of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council Awka, explained that the federal government set aside 50 billion naira for export expansion, grants and facilities and that the category of people to access the money were those in the cooperative societies, small and medium scale enterprises.

She said the Nigerian Export Promotion Council was working out modalities for the beneficiaries to access the money which she noted was the primary reason the sensitisation programme was organised to determine active cooperatives in Anambra state.

She further disclosed that over 200 cooperatives were discovered in the state and that the federal government was determined to play supportive and assistive role to grow the economy through the cooperatives, adding that government would help in providing facilities that would make their jobs easier and less tedious.

According to her, “As an individual you can’t get any grant from government but as a member of cooperative society, it becomes very accessible and the federal government grant that is free, cooperatives would benefit from it.”

Ohiri also pointed out that by the time the grants would be distributed across the federation, over 100 cooperative societies in Anambra state would partake in the largesse, stressing that those in the agricultural value chain would be the first to access the grant. (DAILY INDEPENDENT)