By Zika Bobby
House of Representatives member, representing Ikeja Federal Constituency, James Abiodun Faleke, has, in collaboration with the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), empowered 1,167 constituents.
Speaking in Lagos during the presentation of certificates and cash grants to beneficiaries, Faleke said from January to October ending, more than 7,800 people benefitted from different vocational training with cash grant to support their businesses while 125 people got employment opportunities.
“This is different from our intervention in other areas. For instance, this year alone, we have donated 32 transformers to improve electricity while also fixing 6,500 poles of solar streetlights. Before the end of the year, 900 poles will be added.
“Our intervention also put students into consideration as more than 50 students have received 50 laptops and we also established three computer centres in different secondary schools. We also built 16 blocks of three classrooms each in six primary and secondary schools,” he said.
Faleke, who sensitise the constituency on the importance of having permanent voters card, said those who have not benefitted should not lose hope as plans are underway to hold super mega empowerment by December.
Corroborating his views, Lagos State Coordinator, SMEDAN, Yinka Fisher, said this is the first of its kind that the agency will be empowering such a multitude of people.
Speaking on behalf of SMEDAN Director General, Director of Policy and Planning of the agency, Olawale Fasanya, said the training and empowerment facilitated by Faleke is a means of eradicating poverty through entrepreneurship.
He said: “The five days capacity building programme facilitated by Faleke is a way to eradicate poverty by being self-employed. The entrepreneurs went through training in different fields to have more knowledge about how to put their capital into productive use in their businesses and many more.”
One of the beneficiaries, who spoke on behalf of his colleagues, Ikudeyin Sesan, appreciated both Faleke and SMEDAN, for the knowledge they imparted in them and promised to be good ambassadors.