Would you like to receive notifications on latest updates of the following headlines?

Over 70% Businesses in Rivers, Fakes and Unfit for Govt Loans

POSTED ON May 3, 2024 •   Business      BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara
Rivers State Governor,Siminalayi Fubara l Credit: @simfubaraKSC l Source: X

The Rivers State Government has regretted that over 70 percent of businesses operating in the state are fake and not due to receive loan facilities from the government. 

The Rivers State Microfinance Agency, RIMA, an agency of the government in Port Harcourt, discloses this  during a media chart ahead of the flag off of a loan scheme by thethe state governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, in association with the Bank of Industry (BoI), for the Micro, Small and Medium Scale  businesses in the State. 

The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of RIMA, Pastor Jonathan Toby, who addressed pressmen, disclosed that the state's government and the Bank of Industry ( BoI), were in a collaboration to give loans to businesses in the state, noting that the target of the state government is to see businesses flourish.  
Toby noted that the Rivers State government signed an MoU with BoI on the 5th of January 2024 to collaborate on providing business facilities for businesses in the state, revealing that the total sum released for the process was N4 billion. 

He said the fund is not for startups, Greenfields but for established businesses, Brownfields, that the import of the Memorandum of Understanding, MoU is to collaborate and pull funds together for the use of business men and women.
The RIMA MD said after the MoU was signed that 2 billion was released from Rivers State to Bank of Industry, noting that RIMA has identified business men and women in the state across the 23 local government areas of the state. 

He said: “The conditions for the loans are so simple and we have two categories of the loan. We have the loan between N1000 to N1,000,000.00, for small businesses. This one is processed in house here. Those above N1,000,000.00 to 50,000,000 are processed by BoI. 
We receive all the applications process them and see they meet up the requirements.
“After profiling, we still go out to verify the businesses to see whether the name given matches the photograph. The business address is correct. 
We have done that in Port Harcourt and environ and we were surprise that more than 70 percent of them are impersonators. 

“They impersonated. They gave use wrong addresses, wrong businesses. Some of them could not pick our calls, they failed to present themselves. We have kept them in view until they come back here to tell us that they are genuine.
“We have sieved them and we have 3,066 as at 30th of April, 2024. This number is qualified for disbursement. These 3066 businesses in the state are requesting for N1.62 billion. We have sent 103 applications to BoI for them to look at and do their due diligence.” 

Toby, however, noted that the interest rate is 7.5 % annually and the repayment tenure is six months to one year, while the BoI angle is between 2 to three years.

READ ALSO
Nigeria's 2024 Budget Capital Extension Draws Criticism from Economists
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 25, 2025 0

The Senate and House of Representatives have once again prolonged the implementation of the capital...

READ ALSO
IPMAN Links Rising Petrol Prices to Crude Oil Costs and Market Dynamics
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 24, 2025 0

ABUJA, Nigeria (NAN) - The Public Relations Officer of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Associati...

READ ALSO
NGX Opens Week Bullish, Gains N279bn Amid Renewed Investor Confidence
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 23, 2025 0

The Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) commenced the trading week on a bullish trajectory, adding N279...

READ ALSO
Oil Prices Surge Amid U.S. Airstrikes on Iran's Nuclear Sites
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 23, 2025 0

Oil prices rose on Monday while the dollar gained strength following the U.S. airstrikes on Iran's n...

READ ALSO
POS Terminals Drive N223tn in Transactions Amid Shift From ATMs
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 23, 2025 0

Point of Sale (POS) terminals processed transactions worth N223.27 trillion in 2024, marking a drama...

READ ALSO
Palm Oil Trade Boosting Bilateral Ties with Nigeria - Malaysia’s Envoy
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 23, 2025 0

The High Commissioner of Malaysia to Nigeria, Aiyub Omar, has reveal that  the thriving pa...

READ ALSO
African Energy Chamber Urges World Bank to Lift Ban on Upstream Oil and Gas Financing
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 19, 2025 0

The African Energy Chamber (AEC) has called on the World Bank to lift its ban on financing upstream...

READ ALSO
FG to Reclaim Dormant Oil Wells as NUPRC Implements 'Drill or Drop' Policy
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 13, 2025 0

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has informed oil producers of its inte...

OUR CHANNELS:

Nigeria's Gemstone Potential: A Deep Dive into 10 Rare Minerals and Their Regions of Origin
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 26, 2025 0

Nigeria is making waves with a revolutionary $400 million Foreign Direct Investment dedicated to cre...


IPMAN Links Rising Petrol Prices to Crude Oil Costs and Market Dynamics
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 26, 2025 0

ABUJA, Nigeria (NAN) - The Public Relations Officer of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Associati...


EFCC Charges Businessman, Company with $75,000 Fraud
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 26, 2025 0

A businessman, Peter Otomewu, along with his company, Pebeto Enerji Limited, was brought before the...


Osimhen Willing to Join Manchester United for Under £200,000 a Week
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 26, 2025 0

Victor Osimhen is reportedly willing to accept a weekly wage of just under £200,000 at Manches...


Trump Announces Iran-Israel Ceasefire Deal, Tehran Denies Formal Agreement
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 26, 2025 0

Former U.S. President Donald Trump has announced that Iran and Israel have agreed to a “comple...


French Police Arrest 12 over Alleged Drugging of Women at Music Festival
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 26, 2025 0

French police have arrested 12 individuals suspected of drugging female festivalgoers during the ann...


NATO Warns Iran Against Nuclear Weapon Development Amid Rising Tensions
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 24, 2025 0

In a renewed effort to curb escalating violence in the Middle East, the North Atlantic Treaty Organi...


Mertens Announces Retirement from Football, Cites Age and Fatigue
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 24, 2025 0

Belgian football star Dries Mertens has officially announced his retirement from professional footba...


Qatar Closes Airspace After Iranian Strike on U.S. Base in Doha
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 26, 2025 0

In a swift move to safeguard lives and property, the government of Qatar has closed its airspace fol...


Tinubu Launches National Mechanised Farming Programme to Tackle Food Insecurity
BY Abiodun Saheed Omodara June 26, 2025 0

In a bid to combat food insecurity and encourage youth participation in farming, President Bola Tinu...


More Articles

Load more...

Menu