A total of three hundred women traders and artisans in Ede North, Ede South, Egbedore and Ejigbo federal constituency of Osun state are set to receive grants under the Ajoje Micro Grant Scheme sponsored by the representative of the constituency in the National Assembly, Rep. Bamidele Salam.
The initiative was announced by Rep. Salam on the occasion of the International Day of Micro, Small and Medium-sized enterprises in June.
This was contained in a press release on Monday signed by Gena Lubem, the Legislative and Media Assistant to Rep. Bamidele Salam.
The “Ajoje Micro Grant Scheme”, is an empowerment programme aimed at positively impacting on the fortunes of women who are engaged in petty trading but whose need for finance to scale up their businesses is hampered by lack of financial inclusiveness.
The scheme which is commencing in the first phase will cut across the four local government areas in the constituency where various forms of monetary interventions will be granted to the targeted beneficiaries who will also receive mentoring from established female entrepreneurs over a period of three months.
Commenting on the scheme, Rep. Salam emphasized that, women as pillars of support to each family deserve to be supported by individuals and institutions of government towards ameliorating poverty and increasing their earning power.
“I am moved to embark on this mission that is backed with a vision in view of the role our women who are engaged in petty trading play in the development of families and the economy. It is my hope that this effort which is coming in different financial formats, will help in scaling up their trading activities and go a long way in supporting their families and developing our economy.
“The title Ajoje is taken from a Yoruba saying that, ‘Ajoje odun beni kan koni’ which roughly translates into ‘the more wealth we create for all, the merrier it becomes for all’. This is my vision for expanding access to funding for the rural poor in my federal constituency.
“Even though this first phase is wholly self-sponsored, it is our plan to partner with relevant agencies as we move on to subsequent phases so that more women can be reached in a sustainable manner”.
The presentation of the grant is scheduled to hold on Wednesday 2nd September, 2020.
