By: Idahosa Moses, Benin City
No fewer than 450 potential migrants in Benin- City and its environs have been equipped with the necessary capacities and means to start income-generating cooperatives.
This was disclosed by Saliu Aidorolo, Project Director, Creation Of Alternatives To Irregular Migration and Human Trafficking Project (CAIMAT), during a media briefing in Benin City, Edo State
He stated that beneficiaries of the cooperatives were divided into 30 groups comprising 15 beneficiaries per cooperative, adding that CAIMAT would continue to monitor and support the beneficiary towards making them economically self-sustainable and progressively and add value to their communities.
Aidorolo stated further that the 30 cooperatives established had been registered with the State government, while 60 leaders of the cooperative groups were trained in cooperative management and entrepreneurship, just as the groups were provided with basic equipment, offices and shops.
He said the CAIMAT Project is a European Union-funded intervention project through the British Council in Nigeria under the Agent for Citizens-Driven Transformation (ACT) programme.
“This project is implemented in Edo State by a consortium of four Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) led by Ideal Development and Resource Centre (IDRC).
“CAIMAT project seeks to create a condition or situation where young people in Benin in Edo State can have increased access to socio-economic alternatives to irregular migration and are empowered to make good choices.
“The success of the project depended on the realisation of creating economic alternatives, sensitisation and Institutional strengthening the capacities of six government agencies through a strategic training pathway and continuous staff support”, jr said.
