Less than one week after integrating the Anchor Borrowers programme on its jobs portal over 5,000 prospective farmers have registered for the scheme. The jobs portal is also attracting potential beneficiaries on the Women Empowerment Scheme called Oko’wo Dapo, that gives loans to women.
Mr. Lekan Olude, Special Adviser to the Governor Dapo Abiodun on Job Creation and Youth Empowerment who made this disclosure on Tuesday, also said over 100 prospective employers have placed vacancies on the portal and screening of candidates have commenced.
“Presently the number of people who have applied on the portal is approaching 100,000. We also have about 5,000 applicants who specifically apply to be farmers under the Anchor Borrowers Programme that was launched last week”, Olude said.
He noted that the upsurge in the numbers of prospective farmers may be due to the incentives provided like free land with certificate of occupancy, free clearing, seddlings, extension services and especially the upkeep allowance attached to the scheme.
“I reckoned that we would have more applications than the 40,000 prospective farmers that we planned for but let me urge those apply to make full disclosure when they fill the form online”, Olude advised.
He added that: “They have to be truthful with the information they would post on the portal, as their inability to provide truthful information about themselves could lead to instant disqualification.”
He reminded the applicants that there would be no room for any unqualified candidate to have job placement through the portal as they would be accredited and confirmed before getting the opportunities.
“ Some people are saying they are from Abeokuta and Ijebu, thinking that only people from Abeokuta and Ijebu will get the jobs, they should speak the truth, it is going to be spread across the state and at the point of empowerment or job placement, if you lie, you won’t get the job or the empowerment, if you are from Yewa, Ota or Remo, say it as it is,” he said.
Olude also noted that the job portal is a one stop shop for empowerment for the state, saying that empowerment programmes like Anchor Borrowers Programme and Oko wo Dapo are programmes that could be registered for through the job portal.
“Empowerment programmes will also go on the portal and only Ogun State people will be able to tap from it and their will be accreditation and confirmation of their status before they get the empowerment or job placement,” he said.
Olude further disclosed that the portal presently has 100 companies with their job vacancies already posted on the job portal, adding that for those who have being contacted for job interviews, it was either because such applicant applied for the positions or the persons Curriculum Vitae met up with the demands of the company.