FG commences N30,000 grants to Uber drivers, keke NAPEP riders

The federal government has commenced the disbursement of N30,000 grants for transporters as a measure to support those affected by COVID-19 pandemic under its economic sustainability plan (ESP).

This was disclosed in a statement signed by Laolu Akande, senior special assistant to the vice president on media and publicity, on Sunday.

The funds are being disbursed under the federal government’s micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) survival fund scheme for artisans and transporters.

The transport support track opened on November 30, 2020, after the artisans’ support track launched on October 1, 2020.

According to the statement, the artisans track is under federal government’s survival fund, while the transport track is a different scheme also under the same fund.

Those to benefit from this initiative include ride-hailing drivers (Uber and Bolt); taxi and bus drivers; keke napep and okada riders; and cart pushers.

“While verified artisans have started receiving the N30,000 one-time grants, Nigerians operating in the transport business – including ride share drivers (Uber, Bolt, etc.), taxi drivers, bus drivers, keke napep riders, okada riders, cart pushers etc., now have the opportunity to benefit from the scheme,” the statement read.

“Under this artisan support scheme, a total of 333,000 artisans and transport business operators nationwide will get one-time operations grant of N30,000 per beneficiary to reduce the effects of income loss due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“There will be a total of 9,009 beneficiaries per state for both artisan and transport beneficiaries. 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.”

The federal government encouraged interested parties to apply through their registered associations, such as the Nigerian Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Keke Riders’ Association, Okada Riders’ Association, among others.

It said beneficiaries will be awarded on a “first come first serve basis”.