𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐂𝐂𝐖𝐀, 𝐀𝐩𝐚𝐩𝐚-𝐈𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐦𝐮 𝐋𝐂𝐃𝐀 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐒𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐓𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐬, 𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐡 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬⁣ ⁣

Over a 100 small business owners in  Apapa-Iganmu Local Council Development Area, LCDA, on Thursday received business equipment and cash grants under the Lagos State Council Chairmen's Wives Association, LASCCWA, Women Empowerment Programme aimed at promoting self-reliance and improving livelihoods.⁣

⁣

The beneficiaries received various vocational tools, including 10 tailoring machines, six grinding machines, five deep freezers, 10 hairdressing equipment sets, five vulcanising machines, five carpenter starter machines, 15 technician tool kits, 10 generators for barbers, five shoe cobbler machines, as well as 20 cash grants.⁣

⁣

Speaking at the empowerment programme, the Chairperson of Apapa-Iganmu LCDA and host of the event, 𝐀𝐥𝐡𝐚𝐣𝐚 𝐊𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐦𝐨 𝐋𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐧𝐢 𝐉𝐢𝐦𝐨𝐡, described the initiative as a life-changing intervention designed to provide residents with the tools needed to improve their economic fortunes.⁣

⁣

"It is with great joy and gratitude to Almighty God that I welcome you all to today's LASCCWA Women Empowerment Programme," she said. ⁣

She expressed appreciation to the 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐋𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐋𝐚𝐠𝐨𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞, 𝐇𝐞𝐫 𝐄𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐃𝐫. (𝐌𝐫𝐬.) 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐚 𝐈𝐛𝐢𝐣𝐨𝐤𝐞 𝐒𝐚𝐧𝐰𝐨-𝐎𝐥𝐮, for her continued support for women and families across the state, while also commending the 𝐄𝐱𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐩𝐚𝐩𝐚-𝐈𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐦𝐮 𝐋𝐂𝐃𝐀, 𝐇𝐨𝐧. 𝐉𝐢𝐦𝐨𝐡 𝐎𝐥𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐮, for his commitment to the welfare and development of residents.⁣

⁣

"Today is a special day because we are giving people the opportunity to improve their lives through this empowerment programme," she said. Listing the items distributed, Alhaja Layeni Jimoh said the intervention covered artisans and small business owners across different trades, noting that the programme was designed to strengthen entrepreneurship and improve household incomes.⁣

⁣

She thanked LASCCWA, the Executive Chairman and all those who contributed to the success of the programme.⁣

⁣

"𝐓𝐨 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬, 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧. 𝐖𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬," 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐝.⁣

⁣

Also speaking, the Executive Chairman of Apapa-Iganmu LCDA, 𝐇𝐨𝐧. 𝐉𝐢𝐦𝐨𝐡 𝐎𝐥𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐮, said the initiative was deliberately targeted at genuine artisans and vulnerable residents rather than political loyalists.⁣

⁣

According to him, beneficiaries were carefully selected through recognised artisan associations to ensure that the equipment reached those who genuinely needed them.⁣

⁣

"This initiative, I am highly impressed. I have been hearing about it, not until it happens in my local government. This one is organized by the office of the chairman under the supervision of the first lady. It is a give back to the community," he said.⁣

⁣

"𝐖𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬. 𝐖𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐬. 𝐖𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐦𝐞𝐧. 𝐖𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦."⁣

⁣

Hon. Saliu recalled that in previous empowerment programmes, some beneficiaries sold the equipment immediately after receiving them, stressing that measures had been put in place to prevent a recurrence.⁣

⁣

"In the past, those who have been given out are being sold at the venue of the event. This time around, I don't want it to be sold from the experience I got in the past.⁣

⁣

"If you ask any one of them, they will show you the identity card. They are already established members of the artisan associations. We are bringing in those whose parents are not capable of getting them the equipment.⁣

⁣

"Those are the ones we sorted out in the community. We should make sure they use it for their life, for their businesses, for them to grow and invest so that they can be self-sufficient on their own," he said.⁣

⁣

In her remarks, the 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐂𝐂𝐖𝐀 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐖𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐱𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐎𝐣𝐨𝐝𝐮 𝐋𝐂𝐃𝐀, 𝐌𝐫𝐬. 𝐀𝐛𝐢𝐦𝐛𝐨𝐥𝐚 𝐎𝐝𝐮𝐧𝐦𝐛𝐚𝐤𝐮, described the programme as a continuation of a longstanding empowerment initiative across Lagos State.⁣

⁣

She said every local government and LCDA was encouraged to identify deserving beneficiaries within their communities through their chairpersons.⁣

⁣

"This initiative has been a long time coming. The last administration did it. We are just following the train. Empowering women is always a good initiative. I don't think it should be something we should stop," she said.⁣

⁣

"𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐋𝐂𝐃𝐀 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐠𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭. 𝐄𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧, 𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐋𝐂𝐃𝐀 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐋𝐆. 𝐖𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲. 𝐖𝐞 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐫𝐲."⁣

⁣

Mrs. Odunmbaku urged beneficiaries to make productive use of the items and financial support received rather than dispose of them for immediate gains.⁣

⁣

"𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐬 𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧. 𝐔𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐥𝐲. 𝐖𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐬," 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝.⁣

⁣

The empowerment programme attracted government officials, community leaders, artisan groups and residents, with beneficiaries expressing appreciation for the intervention, which they said would enable them to expand their businesses and become more economically independent.⁣

⁣