Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Wednesday, revealed that a series of empowerment initiatives in the state were being carried out to build a resilient economy befitting a modern mega city.
Governor Sanwo-Olu stated this at the 2024 Micro Enterprise Support Initiative (MESI) organised by the Lagos State Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA) held in Lagos.
He said, “This Micro Enterprise Support Initiative is designed to uplift vulnerable women and indigent youths by providing them with the tools and support they need to start and grow their businesses. By empowering this population segment, we aim to continue stimulating economic growth, reducing poverty, and creating a more inclusive Lagos.
“The Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA) is at the forefront of uplifting women and the indigent, providing them with the necessary tools to break free from the chains of poverty. Their efforts, complemented by the Ministry of Youth and Social Development, have yielded remarkable results in youth empowerment, skill acquisition, and job creation.
“Furthermore, the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF), a strategic partner in this endeavour, provides financial support and business development services to entrepreneurs, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
“This Y2024 MESI Programme is a natural progression of these combined efforts. It seeks to build upon the successes of our past initiatives by providing even more targeted support to micro-enterprises. By empowering our citizens to become entrepreneurs, we are creating jobs and also fostering a vibrant and resilient economy.”
This programme is tailored to reaching out to the socio-economically disadvantaged women, indigent youths and old students of our skills acquisition centres via the distribution of essential empowerment tools/equipment like tilling machines, shawarma grillers and toasters, fabricating machines, machines, basic barbing kit with sterilising kit and generators, hairdressing equipment etc as poverty alleviating gesture for the vulnerable women and indigent youths.
Distinguished guest, permit me to categorically state that this programme under this administration’s T.H.E.M.ES plus agenda was rechristened as “Micro Enterprise Support Initiative” (MESI). This decision undoubtedly was borne out of your shared hybrid vision and burning desire to improve on the status quo through deliberate provisioning of economic empowerment
