The Akure North Local Government Council of Ondo State has disbursed N100 million to 1,000 youths and market women under its empowerment program as part of efforts to reduce poverty and promote economic self-reliance at the grassroots.
Each beneficiary received N100,000 as financial support to boost businesses, petty trading, and other means of livelihood.
Speaking during the distribution, the chairman of the council, Hon. Johnson Ogunbolude, said the initiative reflected his administration’s commitment to making economic empowerment a component of its grassroots development agenda.
Ogunbolude said the beneficiaries were selected from among youths and women who could deploy the funds to improve their businesses and become more economically productive.
He explained that, beyond the financial assistance, the program was intended to encourage self-reliance, reduce dependence, and provide residents with opportunities to improve their livelihoods.
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According to him, local government administration must go beyond the provision of basic infrastructure to initiatives that directly address the economic challenges confronting residents.
The chairman said the council’s intervention was also aimed at complementing the poverty-reduction and empowerment programs of the Ondo State Government under Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
He commended Aiyedatiwa for providing the necessary tools, financial support, and enabling environment for local government administrations to function effectively and implement programs capable of improving residents’ lives.
“This is the first batch, and people who are yet to get will definitely be considered. I believe this token will go a long way in solving some little challenges,” Ogunbolude said.
He assured residents who were not captured in the first phase that the empowerment program would be extended to more beneficiaries, stressing that the initiative was not a one-off intervention.
Ogunbolude urged the beneficiaries to regard the money as seed capital and use it responsibly to strengthen their businesses and improve their income-generating activities.
He said the council would continue to explore practical programs to improve the economic well-being of residents, particularly youths and women, who constitute a significant segment of the local government’s population.
The chairman also called for cooperation from residents and community leaders to ensure that government interventions reached genuine beneficiaries and achieved the desired impact.
Some of the beneficiaries expressed appreciation for the intervention, saying the grant would provide support for their businesses at a time when rising operating costs had made it difficult for many small-scale traders and entrepreneurs to expand their activities.
The event attracted dignitaries and stakeholders from the local government, including the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Community Engagement, Hon. Akindele Adeniyi; former Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Kenneth Olawale; and High Chief Isaac Ayeyemi, among others.
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