The Delta State Commis
sioner for Poverty Alleviation, Dr Antonia Ashiedu, says that 111,312 people had benefited from the Microcredit programme of the state government in the past seven years.
Ashiedu, who made this known when he gave the scorecard of her ministry in Asaba on Tuesday, said that 67,861 of the beneficiaries were females, while 43,451 were males.
She said that the beneficiaries were grouped into 10,429 cluster groups.
The commissioner said that 15,852 people were empowered under the various cottage industries established by the government, while 22,713 people were empowered under agriculture production.
According to her, agriculture is the economic mainstay of rural dwellers and the sector employs more than 60 per cent of the population of the state.
She said that majority of the beneficiaries were actively engaged in agricultural activities, agro-processing and agro-business.
Ashiedu said that the state was collaborating with relevant agencies and research institutes to develop various agricultural chains, expand existing ones and develop human capital.
“This will help to boost the manufacturing sector and diversify the economy in line with the state government vision, “Delta Beyond Oil’’.
She said that the government, through its microcredit programme, had conducted a ‘Train-the-Trainer’ course in collaboration with the Nigerian Institute of Oceanography and Marine Research.
She said that 52 farmers from the state participated in the course, adding that each of them  had trained no fewer than 100 fish farmers in the state.