As part of efforts to meet the needs of teeming youths and tackle the grave threats posed by high unemployment rates, the wife of Lagos State Governor, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, has empowered 500 skilled workers with start-up packages.
The event, tagged Y2024 ‘Community Sensitisation and Empowerment,’ was held at the Lagos House, Ikeja. It was the sixth edition of the Office of the First Lady’s initiatives since the advent of Sanwo-Olu’s administration in 2019.
The start-up packages benefit hairdressers, auto mechanics, shoemakers, caterers, carpenters, tilers, vulcanised, make-up artists, tailors, barbers, and popcorn makers, among other vocational workers.
The Lagos First Lady, represented by the wife of the Deputy Governor, Mrs. Oluremi Hazmat, urged the beneficiaries to make good use of the tools for themselves and to empower others.
She said this edition improved from past editions as more tools were incorporated into the programme based on assessed needs and feasibility studies carried out by her office.
“As we present these tools that support trades such as hairdressing, catering, fashion design, barbing, tailoring, and other vocational skills, we are not merely handing over equipment. We are delivering hope, dignity, and the instruments of independence.
“We believe true economic empowerment must be holistic, combining skill acquisition and access to the necessary tools. This is why we deliberately designed two different approaches, starting with financial education and now proceeding to the practical phase with tools that will help our beneficiaries build wealth, generate income, and contribute meaningfully to the socio-economic growth of our beloved state.
“The truth is this: when people are equipped with the right tools, they become builders not just of livelihoods but also of vibrant, thriving communities, ‘’ she said.
Mrs Sanwo-Olu further urged the beneficiaries to use the tools well and not sell them, adding that whatever proceeds they realised from their businesses should be used for themselves and their families.
“To our beneficiaries, you are the heartbeat of this initiative. Your stories will validate our efforts. Your success will inspire others, and your journey from empowerment to enterprise will reinforce what is possible when purpose is matched with opportunity.
“Please, do not trivialise this gesture. We count on you to help reduce unemployment by using these tools to uplift yourselves and, ultimately, impact others positively,” she said.
In her address, the commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Cecilia Dada, represented by Mrs. Toyin Salami, commended the First Lady for the intervention, adding that such an initiative shows that every Lagosian deserves to thrive and succeed.
“The government is committed to supporting initiatives like this that are in line with the THEMES+ agenda. This empowerment is a seed, so nurture it and let it grow,” she urged the beneficiaries.
