Gov. Gabriel Suswan of Benue State on Saturday said the state government had entered into an?agreement with? Bank of Industry (BOI) to provide one billion naira loans to entrepreneurs.
Suswan disclosed this during the Benue State Special Day at the ongoing 2012 Lagos International Trade Fair with the theme : “Promoting Trade for Sustainable Economic Transformation”.
The governor was represented at the occasion by Secretary to the State Government, Dr David Salifu.
According to him, the aim is to encourage entrepreneurship development in the state.
“Already, the state government has made her counterpart contribution of N500 million and the N1 billion loan facilities are now ready for businesses to access,” he said.
?He said that the state government was also creating enabling environment for more investors to come to the state to do business.
Suswan said that the state had made a mark in agriculture which gave it the appellation: “Food Basket of the Nation”.
He said that all its agricultural products were being cultivated in commercial quantities that could sustain investments in agro allied industries in the state.
He said that there were also large quantities of solid minerals that had not been tapped.
The governor said that the state government was providing critical infrastructure as well as investing in Independent Power Projects.
He said that the state government was also privatising its companies and using public-private partnerships to encourage private sector involvement in growing the potentials of the state. (NAN)