(Dr. Olusola Olusi, Managing Director, Bank of Industry (BOI)
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(Haj. Fasasi Mohammed Jamiu, National President, Builders, Construction and Skilled Artisan Association of Nigeria (BACSAAN)
By Biola Lawal
Abuja (FLOWERBUDNEWS): The National President of the Builders, Construction and Skilled Artisans of Nigeria (BACSAAN), Alh. Fasasi Mohammed Jamiu has appealed to Nigeria’s Bank of Industry (BOI) to create more means for artisans to benefit from the services of the bank.
Alh. Fasasi made the call on Wednesday when he led a BACSAAN delegation on a courtesy visit to the Managing Director of BOI, Dr. Olasupo Olusi, who was represented by his Special Assistant (SA) on Public Sector and Intervention Programmes, Mr. Ahmed Kagara at the Abuja office of the Bank.
(SA – MD, BOI, Mr. Ahmed Kagara, BACSAAN Leader, Haj Fasasi Mohammed Jamiu, Director of BACSAAN National Operations, Alh. Isiaq Robiu, BACSAAN National Director of Communications, Alh. Biola Lawal, Consultant to BACSAAN, Dr. Akinropo Akinwande along with other BACSAAN and BOI officials in a group photograph during the BACSAAN visit)
The Artisan leader, who commended the current leadership of BOI for its innovative approach to Nigeria’s industrial growth and economic stability, urged the bank to create more ways to directly assist the teeming artisan members of BACSAAN, most of whom, he noted, are very skilled, hardworking, but remained downtrodden.
The BACSAAN leader said that.helping hand from the Bank of Industry in terms of possible very soft loans or outright intervention grants to BACSAAN members across the country would help lift the artisans out of poverty level.
Fasasi disclosed that economic empowerment of BACSAAN members would impact effectively on the country as the artisans reside in all nook and cranny of Nigeria, making them a formidable segment of the nation’s productive population.
He said that verified survey by BACSAAN showed that the association currently has potential members of over 25 million skilled artisans across the country who were all hopeful of assistance from institutions like BOI.
Fasasi urged BOI to take the issue of economic empowerment support to the artisans as a priority which would further enhance their goodwill for the bank, and infact, also for President Tinubu’s administration.
Responding, the BOI Managing Director’s representative, Mr. Ahmed Kagara welcomed the BACSAAN delegation and assured that BOI remained committed to supporting the growth of both the big and small scale.
Kagara, who disclosed that the BOI has been existing since 1964 and merely changed name in 2001, said that the Bank would be willing to assist the artisans.
He urged the BACSAAN leaders to encourage the artisans to key into the existing financial support openings in the bank by apply for such assistance through the branch of BOI nearest to them.
Kagara stated that though, BOI ”is not a charity organisation ” the bank was always willing to assist applicants to become successful by giving them all available facilities.
