THE House member representing the Alimosho Federal Constituency at the Green Chamber of the National Assembly, Hon. Ganiyu Adele Ayuba has lauded the Lagos State House of Assembly member representing Alimosho Constituency II, Hon. Kehinde Olaide Joseph (Kay Jay), following his Fifty Million Naira Micro, Small, and Medium Scale Enterprises (MSMEs) empowerment grant initiative distributed to 500 residents of his constituency last Friday.
The initiative, according to Ayuba, was a right step in the right direction, encouraging the beneficiaries to utilise the money to start up small businesses it was meant for. The seasoned administrator and trained solicitor said the N50m initiative has added positively to the economic growth of Alimosho Federal Constituency, Lagos State, and Nigeria at large.
The empowerment grant was carried out during the Lagos State House of Assembly's ninth annual stakeholders' meeting held simultaneously across the 40 constituencies in the state, with the theme ‘Ensuring Food Security for a Sustainable Future: Youth Participation and Home-Grown Farming.'
Addressing the large stakeholders gathered at the Igando-Ikotun Local Council Development Area secretariat, Joseph said the initiative was part of his campaign promises to his constituents.
The grant, according to the lawmaker, was designed to unlock the potential of local entrepreneurs, fostering sustainable growth and contributing to the economic development of the constituency.
He said, "The beneficiaries of the MSMEs empowerment programme cut across artisans, People Living With Disabilities (PLWDs), CDC, market men and women, religious groups (League of Imams/CAN), members of the non-indigenous groups (Ndi-Igbo, Arewa, Middlebelt, South-South), Youth groups, and Political Party members, among other residents in Egbe-Idimu and Igando-Ikotun LCDAs."
On food security, Joseph emphasised the need for collaboration to address food insecurity, citing it as a complex and multifaceted challenge requiring sustained Government and community effort. He underscored the Lagos State House of Assembly's unwavering commitment, under the leadership of Rt. Hon. (Dr) Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa, to achieving food security, aligned with the United Nations' sustainable development goals, specifically Goal 2: Zero Hunger.
