By Lukman Olabiyi
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu yesterday revealed the series of empowerment being done 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.
No few than 2000 Lagosians benefited from billion naira government support initiative.
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 own businesses. By empowering this segment of our population, we aim to continue to stimulate economic growth, reduce poverty, and create 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 endeavor, 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 and indigent youths and old students of our skills acquisition centres via distribution of basic empowerment tools/equipment like tilling machine, shawarma grillers and toasters, fabricating machines sewing, machine, basic barbing kit with sterilising kit and generators, hair dressing equipments 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.”