No fewer than 330,000 artisans and transporters will benefit from the Federal Government’s Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Survival Fund.
The scheme is part of the government’s Economic Sustainability Plan (ESP), introduced to ease the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on the citizens.
A statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Office of the Vice-President, Mr. Laolu Akande, said beneficiaries of the scheme in different parts of the country will get one-time payment of N30,000 each.
It read in part: “The launch of the Transport track, last Monday, followed the successful take-off of the Artisans’ Support track on October 1. While the Artisans track is under the Survival Fund, the Transport track is a different scheme also under the fund.
“While verified artisans have started receiving the N30,000 one-time grants, Nigerians operating in the transport business – including Rideshare drivers (Uber, Bolt, etc), taxi drivers, bus drivers, Keke NAPEP riders, Okada riders, cart pushers, among others, now have the opportunity to benefit from the scheme.
“The Artisan track is being implemented in three streams, and as of November 25, a total number of 59,000 individual Artisan beneficiaries have been paid across 24 states in Stream 1 and Stream 2 States.
“Under this Artisan Support scheme, a total of 333,000 artisans and transport business operators nationwide will get one-time operations grant of N30,000 per beneficiary to reduce the effects of income loss due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“All schemes are applied to beneficiaries on a first come first serve basis.
