Association urges Nigeria to empower members with soft loans

The Arewa Traders’ Association of Nigeria has appealed to the Federal Government to grant them soft loans, similarly to that of the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN), for the socioeconomic development of the country.
Alhaji Ibrahim Mohammed, National President of the association, made the plea in an interview with newsmen, shortly after he was inaugurated as the association’s new President on Thursday, in Yola.
He said that the loans would help reduce the rate of poverty, unemployment and insecurity in general as a lot of the youth would be empowered.
“Definitely, Federal Government is empowering Nigerians online, but 70 per cent of our members have not been accessing it because they are not educated.
“We are urging the federal government to look for another alternative, through the leadership, like that of RIFAN who were being given funds disbursed to their members,” he said.
The president also urged Northern Governors to create a means of empowering traders for the socioeconomic development of their respective states, as this would reduce the rate of unemployment, especially at the grassroots.
He further urged for more support from members and assuring that he would bring a lot of development that would impact positively on their lives and development in the country at large.