The Wife of the Governor of Ogun State, Mrs. Bamidele Abiodun has reiterated her commitment towards empowerment of women in the State.
Mrs. Abiodun stated this at the capacity building programme, organised by her Office in collaboration with SheVentures, a financial unit of First City Monument Bank (FCMB), for women entrepreneurs in the State, at the MITROS Hall, GRA, Ibara, Abeokuta, encouraging women to see problems in business as challenges that must be surmounted and be resilient in giving value to their businesses.
She said one hundred and fifty entrepreneurs with registered businesses that were operational in the State were nominated as participants for the capacity building, which would afford them the opportunity of accessing a loan of one million naira.
“I am happy in not only by the participation of my Office in this initiative, but also the opportunity to nominate 150 women entrepreneurs with businesses registered and operational in Ogun State as participants”, she said.
She appreciated FCMB SheVentures for partnering her Office in empowering the beneficiaries with loans and necessary knowledge on how to handle money in their various businesses.
Earlier in their separate goodwill messages, the Iyalode of Yorubaland, Chief Mrs. Alaba Lawson, former Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Titi Oseni, former Deputy Governor of Ogun State, Alhaja Salimot Badru, the Chief Executive Officer, FAO Envelopes Limited, Princess Layo Okeowo, the Assistant Chief Nursing Officer, Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH), Sagamu, Mrs. Wunmi Adepitan, unanimously appreciated Mrs. Abiodun for the good initiative and urged FCMB to make the loan interest single digits for the participants.
In her address, the Executive Director, Business Development, FCMB, Mrs. Bukola Smith, said the aim of the programme was to avail the participants of three pillars of successful business, which she listed as access to financing, access to information and access to network.
She promised to facilitate low interests for the loans, explaining that zero interest loans would also be extended to qualified participants who meet up with terms and conditions.
Other topics for the training session include ‘Scaling up your business in a challenged economy’, and ‘Women leading in the Nigerian Agriculture and Food Sectors, among others.
