In order to foster development in the country, N200m has being offered to support Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in Bayelsa State, on Monday by the United Nations Development Programme.

UNDP said, the objective of the initiative is to mitigate the effect of the current socio-economic challenges through the empowerment of medium and small businesses across various sectors..

Joyce Oboro, the leader of the UNDP team, who presented a cheque to Governor Douye Diri at the Government House in Yenagoa, stressed that the European Union was a co-sponsor of the project.

“The components of the programme include financial support and capacity building, while the cluster-based approach will be adopted to achieve set objectives,” she declared.

Oboro explained that the project would stimulate economic growth and improve the living standards of Bayelsans and urged well-meaning groups and individuals to key into the project.

Diri addressed the collaboration between the government and the UNDP to improve MSMEs in the state.

Also speaking, Daniel Alabrah, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, stated that his administration was already doing a lot in developing and supporting MSMEs.

The governor claimed the administration had empowered them with starter packs as well as offered grants of N200,000 monthly to 420 small business owners across the 105 wards as part of its effort to encourage small businesses.

He assured the UNDP delegation that the state would play its role in the partnership, insisting that whatever would add value to the lives of Bayelsans his administration would take it seriously, also he appreciated the UNDP for their support when Bayelsa battled a terrible flood in 2022, revealing the organisation as a true friend of the state.

The governor declared, “For us as an administration, our mantra has been shared prosperity. Our people have to prosper in all aspects of their lives. So we are very happy to meet development-oriented organisations like yours.

“Let me acknowledge the UNDP for its support to our people during the flood in 2022. We have been partners. Going forward, I believe we will have a robust relationship with you. We are very well prepared to partner and play our role to ensure we attract whatever is due to us.

“In Bayelsa, we started a programme three years ago and gave out grants to encourage small businesses. We paid N200,000 each to 420 SMEs monthly across the 105 wards in the state until the end of our first tenure. Now we want to evaluate the level of success of the scheme.

“I am happy with the aspects of capacity building, training and mentorship. As a government, we have been doing that and after training, we also give them starter packs. So you are coming to an area we consider a priority.”

The governor said, it is good to build other infrastructure but the people to manage them is more important.

“That is why as a government we are taking it seriously and I believe that this is one partnership that will bring succour to our people,” he added.