LAGOS – Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Tuesday presented about 4,000 start-up equipment to residents under the Micro Enterprise Support Initiative (MESI) of the Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA).
Sanwo-Olu urged the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the equipment to transform the skills they had acquired into sustainable livelihoods, saying the initiative was designed to strengthen household incom
“The equipment being presented today is not just a collection of tools; it is an investment in your future and in the prosperity of Lagos State.
“I urge every beneficiary to make the best use of these items by turning the knowledge acquired during your training into thriving businesses that will improve your lives and create opportunities for others,” he said.
The governor reiterated his administration’s commitment to poverty alleviation through skills acquisition, entrepreneurship and economic empowerment programmes targeted at vulnerable residents.
Representing the the governors wife, Dr Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, Mrs Islamiyat Aregbe, Vice Chairman of Oshodi-Isolo Local Council Development Area, said the empowerment programme had restored hope and dignity to thousands of Lagos residents.
Mrs Sanwo-Olu said the initiative reflected the government’s determination to ensure that more residents became self-reliant through vocational training and enterprise support.
Deputy Governor, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, congratulated the beneficiaries and urged them to maximise the opportunity by putting the equipment to productive use.
Hamzat also encouraged eligible residents to collect their Permanent Voter Cards ahead of the 2027 general elections to enable them to participate in the democratic process.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Mrs Bolaji Dada, said more than 35,000 residents had graduated from the state’s tuition-free skills acquisition centres across the five divisions of Lagos since the inception of the Sanwo-Olu’s administration.
She added that over 18,000 beneficiaries had also received start-up tools to establish businesses after completing their vocational training.
“Our goal is to ensure that skills acquired do not end in the classroom.
“We are providing the necessary equipment to enable beneficiaries establish viable businesses, become financially independent and contribute meaningfully to the state’s economy,” Dada said.
Some of the beneficiaries expressed appreciation to the state government, describing the initiative as life-changing and promising to make productive use of the equipment.
Reports that the items distributed included stoning machines, imported grinding machines, barbering kits, hairdressing tools, cooking pots, gas cookers, cake mixers, recording cameras and tripods, among other business equipment.(NAN)
