The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations and Senator representing Ogun West Senatorial District, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, CON, FCA (YAYI), has empowered 3,000 market women and men across Ogun East Senatorial District with grants of ₦75,000 each, amounting to a total of ₦225 million, under the fifth edition of his Market Women/Men Support Fund Empowerment Programme.
Speaking at the programme held at the Ojude Oba Pavilion, Awujale Palace, Ijebu Ode, Senator Adeola said the “Oloja YAYI” initiative was created to provide direct support to traders, strengthen small businesses, and improve livelihoods across Ogun State. He noted that the intervention, implemented in partnership with the National Productivity Centre, aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, by stimulating grassroots economic growth through grants rather than loans.
The Senator explained that the programme has grown from an initiative for traders in Ogun West into a statewide empowerment scheme, following its positive impact on beneficiaries. He also highlighted his efforts to improve market infrastructure through the construction of modern markets, solar-powered boreholes, and solar streetlights across major markets, particularly in Ogun East.
Urging beneficiaries to invest the grants in their businesses, Senator Adeola reaffirmed his commitment to expanding economic opportunities for market women and men while continuing to implement people-centred programmes that promote enterprise, create jobs, and improve the welfare of the people of Ogun State.