Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi has offered N2 million each to 500 entrepreneurs into street hawking in different parts of the country.

Mr Nwifuru gave the money to the beneficiaries at the flagging off of the first batch of the state skills acquisition programme on Tuesday at Ochiudo Centenary City Secretariat, Abakaliki.

The governor assured that his administration was ready to tackle unemployment and empower the people across the 13 local government areas of the state.

He called for an urgent need for skills acquisition, noting that the state centre for skills development was open for the people to learn.

Offia Nwali, the state Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, said the beneficiaries, currently undergoing training in different skills, were into hawking in different parts of the country.

“The programme targeted 1,500 Ebonyi indigenes, but we are starting today with 500 for the first batch. So, we are doing it batch by batch.

“The beneficiaries have started receiving their money, and the governor has asked anybody that did not get the alert to call him on the phone, beginning today, Tuesday,” the commissioner added. (NAN)