Some Nigerians are oblivious of how important empowering a small or micro
business is, untilthey realise their primary needs cannot be satisfied.
We all have an insatiable thirst forwater under the scorching sun,
getting your shoes fixed by a cobbler on your way to work,or quickly
mending a piece of clothing from "mai tailor" otherwise known as
movingtailor.Imagine having to go to an automobile company to get your
car tire pumped or fixeddespite the stupendous cost and bothersome
procedures when you know how convenient itis to get it done by the road
side vulcanizer, or imagine going to a restaurant or supermarketfor
biscuit, snacks or water before getting your stomach filled "I mean who
sells roastedyam and bole (roasted plantain) in a restaurant anyway"?
All these are fundamental and essential demands that needs to be
gratified.However, not every individual can afford these exorbitant
living, hence the need for pettytraders and artisans. These petty
traders and artisans practically commit to running an operational
economy by meeting our daily micro demands. Thankfully, the government
recognises the economic hardship especially amongst low-income earners
and created a social intervention program called TraderMoni.
TraderMoni
is an empowerment initiative set up by the federal government to
provideinterest-free and collateral-free loans for petty traders and
artisans. The primary objective of the intervention is to improve and
help these petty traders in business and increase overall
productivity. People may question what N10,000 can do in a business
forgetting that the benefactorsof the said empowerment are "petty
traders". People forget that these ''benefactors'' can qualify for
higher loans after prompt repayment. A food vendor, fruit seller, or
vegetable vendor has a family and will be better empowered if their
business is active rather than crippled by debts and unpaid
interest. The TraderMoni initiative makes these loans easily accessible
to petty traders and there isno political undertone to the project as
wrongly assumed by a few people.Thanks to TraderMoni. Thanks to the
Federal Government. Cheers to better-empoweredbusiness owners.
