Speaking at the disbursement exercise held in Abeokuta, the Chairman, Steering Committee, OGUN CARES represented by the State Project Coordinator, Hon. Bayo Adenekan said the empowerment initiative was a fall out of an earlier scheduled training targeted at empowering beneficiaries with Commercial Skills, Financial Literacy, and Workplace Safety to upscale the capacities of the beneficiaries towards bringing succour to the families, as well as cushioning the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on Small, Micro businesses.
Prince Abiodun revealed that the training programme was a major criterion considered for the enrolment, enumeration and selection of beneficiaries drawn from the twenty local council areas of the state, noting that the Livelihood Support Unit (LSU),one of the delivery platforms of the OG - CARES in the state coordinated the disbursement targeted at improving the livelihood of individuals whose life and businesses were impacted by the COVID- 19 pandemic.
"Whilst the objective of the livelihood support is to render skills development to economically active youths and women. The expanded NG-CARES programme is to expand access to livelihood for the poor and vulnerable, increase food security and build capacity and grants to impact over one hundred thousand beneficiaries including farmers,MSME's, micro projects and public works beneficiaries in Ogun State" he added
Abiodun emphasised that the selection of beneficiaries were mined from the State Social Register after which they were enumerated and enrolled for the training which spanned a period of two months with follow-up visitations by LSU officials to the twenty local government areas of the state
Governor Abiodun called on the beneficiaries to make the best of the training, assuring that the present adminstration under his watch would continue to initiate programmes that would alleviate poverty and improve the livelihoods of the people in the state.
Earlier, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Mr. Mufutau Adesina Towolawi who revealed that the grant support to vulnerable youths and women in eleven local councils as the pilot phase, assuring that this current grants to beneficiaries covers all the 20 council areas in Ogun State.
One of the beneficiaries, Adekunle Olaide Kuburat from Obafemi Local Government commended the commitment of the present adminstration towards enhancing their business capacity through training, and provision of grants to support their businesses, advising other beneficiaries not to utilise the financial support for frivolous habits ,but make the best use of the grant support.
