Presidential Grant: Ogun Govt Asks Nano Business Owners To Participate In Enumeration, Verification As Exercise Closes On Friday

Ogun State Government has asked  all Nano business owners in the State's 20 Local Government Areas, who have received Short Message Services (SMS) from the Bank of Industry (BoI) on the Presidential Conditional Grant Scheme, to proceed to the local government secretariat in their domain, so as to participate in the ongoing verification and enumeration exercise for the grant, which is expected to close this  Friday, May 17, 2024.

Special Adviser to the Governor on Trade, Mrs. Oluyemisi Somorin-Dawodu, made the call in Abeokuta while monitoring the exercise in Abeokuta South and Abeokuta North Local Government Areas of the state, clarifying that the conditional grant by the Federal government, in collaboration with state government is not a scam.

Somorin-Dawodu, who is also the State Focal Person for the grant, added that the grant which was inaugurated in January, 2024, was geared towards expanding economic activities of one million people at the small scale level across the country, urging those who have gotten SMS from the BoI to go to the verification venue with their Bank Verification Number (BVN) and National Identification Number (NIN) to partake in the exercise.

“We are determined to ensure that Nano business owners do not miss out of this opportunity. We urge business owners to please come out and participate in this verification and enumeration exercise if you have gotten an SMS from the Bank of Industry (BOI). Come out in large number, the programme ends on Friday", she said.

Speaking in an interview, Team Lead, Presidential Conditional Grant, Abeokuta North Local Government Area, Ibironke Ogunbiyi, said 20,000 potential beneficiaries were expected to participate in the state, which according to her, translates to 1,000 beneficiaries in each Local Government Area, with each beneficiary getting N50,000.

She affirmed that the empowerment scheme was real, urging Nano business owners to participate before the exercise ends on Friday, in order to secure the grant.

In his reaction, a beneficiary in Abeokuta North, Tajudeen Olukayode, expressed surprise at receiving a message from the B oI inviting him for capturing, noting that the process was transparent.