Lagos Partners Financial Institutions To Empower Indigent Women Traders

Lagos State government on Thursday said it has partnered with three financial institutions to make loans available to indigent women traders in the state. The aim is to enable them to boost their business capital and become financially literate so that they can access the state’s financial inclusion system.

The special adviser to the Lagos State governor on Sustainable Development Goals, Dr Oreoluwa Finnih-Awokoya, disclosed this at a press conference in Lagos. She said it is part of her office’s responsibility to promote human capital development through advocacy programmes and development in areas lacking assistance.
Finnih Awokoya, flanked by financial institution representatives partnering with the government in her office in Ikeja, said her office’s overall mandate is to eliminate financial exclusion.

She explained that a woman trader must have a National Identification Number (NIN) from the Lagos State Resident Registration Agency (LASRRA) to benefit from the programme.

“Collaboration is the primary approach to a private partnership, which is why the SDG approached these relevant institutions. Nevertheless, we invite all institutions to join us in this worthy human capital development.

“Human capital development matters reflect the strength and growth of the society, but it was meant to implement the growth of the society. It will be two sums, a success factor for sustainable development growth. We can accomplish an equitable Lagos where every human thrives irrespective of their circumstances.”

In his remark, the representative of OPAY financial institution, Mr Adedotun Adekunle, said the programme aims to get many people into the economic ecosystem.

He said it is the nexus of what they are doing as a corporate financial organisation to get as many men and women into the economic ecosystem as possible, to educate them, and to empower them to do business and earn a living.

The representative of Cowry Wise, another financial institution, Mr Oyeyinka Oyekan, said Cowrie Wise’s core objective since its establishment in 2017 has been to make savings and investment accessible to all Africans, regardless of their social and economic background.

He said, “We are eager to partner with the Office of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to inculcate financial integrity into indigent saturated areas of Lagos State through the human capital development initiative. We believe financial integrity is not a privilege but a fundamental human right.