Barely few weeks after he empowered 800 budding entrepreneurs with N400 million, Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno will today, Wednesday, disburse over N600 Million to the beneficiaries of the Akwa Ibom Covid-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus, AK-CARES, Phase 2.

The empowerment programme scheduled for 12 noon at the prestigious Ibom Hall in Uyo, is part of the activities to commemorate the Governor’s one year in office.

In an interview with journalists in Uyo, the Chairman steering committee of AK-CARES and Commissioner for Economic Development, Mr Emem Bob, said funds will be disbursed under Result Area 1 and Disbursement Linked Indicators, DLI 1.3 Livelihood Grants as well as DLI 3.2 Nano, Micro and small business Enterprise.

“The Wednesday empowerment programme will witness N150,000 each, doled out to 1,055 beneficiaries of livelihood grants under DLI1.3, N18 million each to 12 communities for basic projects under DLI 1.4 and over 2,000 entrepreneurs to receive about N240 Million”, Bob said.

According to the AK-CARES steering committee Chairman, the 3,055 beneficiaries selected from the 31 local government areas of the state for empowerment on Wednesday, were drawn from the 2018 social register, adding that the recently updated social register will be captured in the next phase of the programme.

He maintained that the programme targets vulnerable and poor households in the agricultural value chain, as well as Nano, Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) impacted by the economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mr Bob who assured the masses of Government’s commitment to achieving the goals and objectives of the programme, thanked the Governor for his unwavering commitment to the wellbeing of rural dwellers, entrepreneurs and the vulnerable in the state.