Edo disburses N202m grants to 2,250 start-ups in agriculture

Don tasks accountants on professionalism

Edo State Government yesterday commenced the disbursement of over N202 million to 2,250 start-ups spread across five Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state.

Focal Person, Project Support Unit, Edo Sustainable Development Goals (PSU-SDG), Mrs. Ifueko Alufohai, said this at the training and disbursement of the grants to beneficiaries in Ovia South West Council Area.

She said five local government areas in the state were selected to benefit from the programme in 2012 and 2013 based on their low-income status, noting that the implementation of the programme failed until Governor Godwin Obaseki assumed office in 2016.
Alufohai noted that 450 agripreneurs have been given start-up grants to improve their farming businesses in Ovia South West LGA of Edo State, adding, “This grant basically is for training and empowerment as the beneficiaries are expected to invest the grants on their farming businesses to improve their livelihood.”

According to her, 90 beneficiaries were selected from five communities in Ovia South West, Orhionmwon, Akoko-Edo, Etsako West and Esan South East councils.

Meanwhile, Vice Chancellor of the Igbinedion University, Okada (IUO), Professor Lawrence Ezemonye, yesterday stressed the need to shun financial impropriety and seek a robust financial sector to boost students’ interest in the study of Accounting in tertiary institutions.

Ezemonye, who stated this when leadership of the Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN) visited him, urged accountants to maintain the highest professional standards in all their operations.

He said the institution is ready to partner ANAN to ensure professionalism in the discipline as well as to meet global standard, adding, “The Igbinedion University remains one of the best institutions that have produced quality education in Nigeria.

“We are willing to partner with ANAN to improve the professional learning of accounting. We have been partnering with other groups to make sure we inject new academic knowledge to the university. We will support the intervention to improve the professional knowledge of accounting.”

Speaking, National President of ANAN, Professor Muhammed Akaro Mainoma, said the association was committed to expanding the knowledge of accounting and the need to adhere to the ethics of the profession.

“We will do every thing possible to ensure that we partner with IUO to improve accounting. This will ensure that there is a better understanding of accounting in country,” he said.