Nigerian govt extends support fund to bus drivers, commercial motorcyclists, others

The Federal Government has extended its support to bus drivers, commercial motorcyclists, and other classes of people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic under its Economic Sustainability Plan to the transport sector.

The Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, who disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, said other categories of people expected to benefit from the transport support track under the government’s Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Survival Fund are taxi drivers, commercial tricycle operators, Uber, Bolt drivers and cart pushers.

Akande said the inauguration of the transport track followed the successful take-off of the artisans’ support track on October 1.

He added that while the artisans’ track is under the Survival Fund, the transport track is a different scheme under the fund.

Akande said: “There will be a total of 9,009 beneficiaries per state for both artisan and transport beneficiaries – bus drivers, tax drivers and commercial motorcycle operators among others.

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“Of this number per state, there will be a total of 4,505 beneficiaries under the transport scheme, while the remaining 4,504 will be artisan beneficiaries.

“For the transport track, Nigerians are encouraged to apply through their registered associations to be enumerated, such as the Nigerian Union of Road Transport Workers, Keke Riders’ Association, Okada Riders’ Associations and Unions, among others.

“All schemes are applied to beneficiaries on a first come first serve basis.

“State focal persons, project field officers, enumerators and others will work alongside the MSMEs Survival Fund Project Delivery Office to properly identify and ensure that members of the respective associations are paid.”

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