The Lagos State Government on Tuesday distributed business equipment to 3,792 residents under its Micro Enterprise Support Initiative, as part of a fresh effort to move beneficiaries from vocational training into income-generating businesses and strengthen household livelihoods across the state.The beneficiaries received equipment and materials for trades including tailoring, photography, aluminium and tile cutting, food processing, baking, hairdressing, barbing, cosmetology, vulcanising, catering and agriculture at an empowerment programme organised by the Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation at De Blue Roof, Lagos Television, Agidingbi, Ikeja.The intervention is part of the state government’s broader poverty-reduction strategy, with officials arguing that skills acquisition without access to the equipment needed to practise those skills leaves many beneficiaries unable to convert training into sustainable businesses.Speaking at the event, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu said the 3,792 beneficiaries represented another stage in the administration’s effort to make economic empowerment a practical component of governance rather than a policy aspiration.“The strength of any government is measured not merely by the size of its economy or the scale of its infrastructure, but by how many lives it touches and how many people it empowers to succeed.“Today, we are reaffirming a promise this administration has consistently kept: that governance must improve lives, create opportunities and empower our people to achieve their full potential,” Sanwo-Olu said.He described MESI as “that promise in action” and said the programme was intended to give residents the means to build businesses, create employment and attain financial independence.The governor said the intervention was particularly important because Lagos’ economy depended not only on large companies and major infrastructure projects but also on the millions of small-scale operators, artisans, traders and entrepreneurs whose activities sustain households and communities.“The strength of our economy depends not only on large corporations, but on the resilience and productivity of our small business owners, artisans, traders, women entrepreneurs and young people.“When we empower one entrepreneur, we strengthen a family; when we support thousands, we strengthen the economy of Lagos State,” he said.The governor similarly urged recipients to treat the equipment as business capital and use it to build enterprises that support others.“These tools are not simply items of empowerment; they are instruments for building a better future.“Make the most of them. Grow your businesses, create employment, support your families and become ambassadors of enterprise within your communities,” Sanwo-Olu said.The programme also illustrates the administration’s attempt to extend economic interventions beyond Lagos’ commercial centres.Sanwo-Olu said MESI had been designed to reach residents “from the mainland to the island, from densely populated communities to rural settlements and riverine areas”, arguing that a person’s location should not determine access to economic opportunity.“Our objective is simple: no hardworking Lagosian should be denied an opportunity because of where they live or the circumstances into which they were born,” he said.The governor linked the initiative to the social inclusion and economic development components of the state’s THEMES+ agenda, saying government had a responsibility to create conditions in which residents could build livelihoods rather than remain dependent on public assistance.“This administration believes that true leadership is about creating opportunities, not dependency.“Every empowerment package distributed today represents hope renewed, dreams restored and renewed confidence in the ability of our people to succeed through hard work and determination,” he said.The scale of the state’s intervention was further outlined by the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Bolaji Dada, who said 18,990 residents had received business start-up equipment through MESI since the inception of the Sanwo-Olu administration.She said the figure formed part of a wider portfolio of interventions through which the ministry had sought to combine skills development with economic and social support.Dada said more than 35,101 residents had graduated from the ministry’s tuition-free skills acquisition centres, while more than 1,100 people had received digital skills training.Related NewsLagos rallies police to strengthen security at healthcare facilitiesSanwo-Olu declares May 16 Lagos Boy Child DayFG votes N2.5tn for Abuja-Lokoja, Enugu-PH, 122 roadsShe also said the ministry’s “Ounje Lo Re Awo” Food and Nutrition Programme had provided food support to more than 4,040 vulnerable families, while its Life Skills and Economic Empowerment Programme had reached 18,241 residents in grassroots and riverine communities.According to the commissioner, more than 5,500 widows had also received financial grants to support their businesses and livelihoods.The figures point to the government’s attempt to build an intervention chain in which vocational training is followed by access to productive assets, rather than treating graduation from a skills programme as the endpoint.Dada said, “While our tuition-free skills acquisition centres continue to equip thousands of residents with vocational and entrepreneurial skills, we recognise that training alone is not enough.“The real journey begins when beneficiaries are equipped with the tools required to establish sustainable businesses,” she said.She said MESI was created “to bridge that gap by providing start-up equipment that transforms learning into livelihoods.”The equipment distributed on Tuesday ranged from sewing and stoning machines, photography cameras and stands, deep freezers and popcorn machines to vulcanising equipment, manicure and pedicure kits, cake mixers, baking equipment and complete hairdressing and barbing sets.Beneficiaries in food and agricultural businesses received two-phase gas burners with large cooking pots, cassava graters, pressers and fryers, agricultural dehydrators and other processing equipment.Women involved in the raw food trade were also provided with food commodities including rice, beans, garri and semovita.Dada said the items should not be viewed simply as government giveaways but as productive assets expected to generate income and employment.“These are not merely empowerment items; they are instruments of transformation that will generate income, create jobs, strengthen families and contribute meaningfully to the continued economic growth of Lagos State,” she said.Dada said the ministry’s economic empowerment efforts also extended beyond business equipment. Its interventions include agricultural support at the ministry’s Avia Farm in Badagry, where trained farmers have been given demonstration plots for cassava cultivation, oil palm production, organic vegetable farming and snail rearing.She also pointed to the ministry’s support for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence through psychosocial counselling, temporary shelter, legal assistance, rehabilitation, vocational training and enterprise support.The ministry, she said, was also working with women-focused non-governmental organisations registered with it to expand community outreach, family support, skills development and economic empowerment.The commissioner said the interventions were intended to address poverty from several directions, including income generation, food security, skills development and social protection.“For the ministry, our commitment to empowerment also extends to agriculture,” Dada said, adding that the government was using practical training and access to farming resources to help beneficiaries improve food production while creating sustainable income.She urged the latest beneficiaries to regard Tuesday’s distribution as the beginning of their responsibility to turn public support into viable businesses.“Government has placed confidence in your potential by investing in your future.“I encourage you to make the best use of these tools, build thriving enterprises, create employment opportunities, support your families and become worthy ambassadors of the Lagos State Government,” she said.Sanwo-Olu said the government would continue to support small businesses and expand economic inclusion across the state, insisting that the objective was to ensure that the benefits of governance reached communities beyond Lagos’ major economic centres.“We will continue to invest in our people, expand opportunities for small businesses, strengthen economic inclusion and ensure that the benefits of good governance reach every ward, every community and every household across Lagos State,” he said. The beneficiaries received equipment and materials for trades including tailoring, photography, aluminium and tile cutting, food processing, baking, hairdressing, barbing, cosmetology, vulcanising, catering and agriculture at an empowerment programme organised by the Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation at De Blue Roof, Lagos Television, Agidingbi, Ikeja.The intervention is part of the state government’s broader poverty-reduction strategy, with officials arguing that skills acquisition without access to the equipment needed to practise those skills leaves many beneficiaries unable to convert training into sustainable businesses.Speaking at the event, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu said the 3,792 beneficiaries represented another stage in the administration’s effort to make economic empowerment a practical component of governance rather than a policy aspiration.“The strength of any government is measured not merely by the size of its economy or the scale of its infrastructure, but by how many lives it touches and how many people it empowers to succeed.“Today, we are reaffirming a promise this administration has consistently kept: that governance must improve lives, create opportunities and empower our people to achieve their full potential,” Sanwo-Olu said.He described MESI as “that promise in action” and said the programme was intended to give residents the means to build businesses, create employment and attain financial independence.The governor said the intervention was particularly important because Lagos’ economy depended not only on large companies and major infrastructure projects but also on the millions of small-scale operators, artisans, traders and entrepreneurs whose activities sustain households and communities.“The strength of our economy depends not only on large corporations, but on the resilience and productivity of our small business owners, artisans, traders, women entrepreneurs and young people.“When we empower one entrepreneur, we strengthen a family; when we support thousands, we strengthen the economy of Lagos State,” he said.The governor similarly urged recipients to treat the equipment as business capital and use it to build enterprises that support others.“These tools are not simply items of empowerment; they are instruments for building a better future.“Make the most of them. Grow your businesses, create employment, support your families and become ambassadors of enterprise within your communities,” Sanwo-Olu said.The programme also illustrates the administration’s attempt to extend economic interventions beyond Lagos’ commercial centres.Sanwo-Olu said MESI had been designed to reach residents “from the mainland to the island, from densely populated communities to rural settlements and riverine areas”, arguing that a person’s location should not determine access to economic opportunity.“Our objective is simple: no hardworking Lagosian should be denied an opportunity because of where they live or the circumstances into which they were born,” he said.The governor linked the initiative to the social inclusion and economic development components of the state’s THEMES+ agenda, saying government had a responsibility to create conditions in which residents could build livelihoods rather than remain dependent on public assistance.“This administration believes that true leadership is about creating opportunities, not dependency.“Every empowerment package distributed today represents hope renewed, dreams restored and renewed confidence in the ability of our people to succeed through hard work and determination,” he said.The scale of the state’s intervention was further outlined by the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Bolaji Dada, who said 18,990 residents had received business start-up equipment through MESI since the inception of the Sanwo-Olu administration.She said the figure formed part of a wider portfolio of interventions through which the ministry had sought to combine skills development with economic and social support.Dada said more than 35,101 residents had graduated from the ministry’s tuition-free skills acquisition centres, while more than 1,100 people had received digital skills training.Related NewsLagos rallies police to strengthen security at healthcare facilitiesSanwo-Olu declares May 16 Lagos Boy Child DayFG votes N2.5tn for Abuja-Lokoja, Enugu-PH, 122 roadsShe also said the ministry’s “Ounje Lo Re Awo” Food and Nutrition Programme had provided food support to more than 4,040 vulnerable families, while its Life Skills and Economic Empowerment Programme had reached 18,241 residents in grassroots and riverine communities.According to the commissioner, more than 5,500 widows had also received financial grants to support their businesses and livelihoods.The figures point to the government’s attempt to build an intervention chain in which vocational training is followed by access to productive assets, rather than treating graduation from a skills programme as the endpoint.Dada said, “While our tuition-free skills acquisition centres continue to equip thousands of residents with vocational and entrepreneurial skills, we recognise that training alone is not enough.“The real journey begins when beneficiaries are equipped with the tools required to establish sustainable businesses,” she said.She said MESI was created “to bridge that gap by providing start-up equipment that transforms learning into livelihoods.”The equipment distributed on Tuesday ranged from sewing and stoning machines, photography cameras and stands, deep freezers and popcorn machines to vulcanising equipment, manicure and pedicure kits, cake mixers, baking equipment and complete hairdressing and barbing sets.Beneficiaries in food and agricultural businesses received two-phase gas burners with large cooking pots, cassava graters, pressers and fryers, agricultural dehydrators and other processing equipment.Women involved in the raw food trade were also provided with food commodities including rice, beans, garri and semovita.Dada said the items should not be viewed simply as government giveaways but as productive assets expected to generate income and employment.“These are not merely empowerment items; they are instruments of transformation that will generate income, create jobs, strengthen families and contribute meaningfully to the continued economic growth of Lagos State,” she said.Dada said the ministry’s economic empowerment efforts also extended beyond business equipment. Its interventions include agricultural support at the ministry’s Avia Farm in Badagry, where trained farmers have been given demonstration plots for cassava cultivation, oil palm production, organic vegetable farming and snail rearing.She also pointed to the ministry’s support for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence through psychosocial counselling, temporary shelter, legal assistance, rehabilitation, vocational training and enterprise support.The ministry, she said, was also working with women-focused non-governmental organisations registered with it to expand community outreach, family support, skills development and economic empowerment.The commissioner said the interventions were intended to address poverty from several directions, including income generation, food security, skills development and social protection.“For the ministry, our commitment to empowerment also extends to agriculture,” Dada said, adding that the government was using practical training and access to farming resources to help beneficiaries improve food production while creating sustainable income.She urged the latest beneficiaries to regard Tuesday’s distribution as the beginning of their responsibility to turn public support into viable businesses.“Government has placed confidence in your potential by investing in your future.“I encourage you to make the best use of these tools, build thriving enterprises, create employment opportunities, support your families and become worthy ambassadors of the Lagos State Government,” she said.Sanwo-Olu said the government would continue to support small businesses and expand economic inclusion across the state, insisting that the objective was to ensure that the benefits of governance reached communities beyond Lagos’ major economic centres.“We will continue to invest in our people, expand opportunities for small businesses, strengthen economic inclusion and ensure that the benefits of good governance reach every ward, every community and every household across Lagos State,” he said. The intervention is part of the state government’s broader poverty-reduction strategy, with officials arguing that skills acquisition without access to the equipment needed to practise those skills leaves many beneficiaries unable to convert training into sustainable businesses.Speaking at the event, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu said the 3,792 beneficiaries represented another stage in the administration’s effort to make economic empowerment a practical component of governance rather than a policy aspiration.“The strength of any government is measured not merely by the size of its economy or the scale of its infrastructure, but by how many lives it touches and how many people it empowers to succeed.“Today, we are reaffirming a promise this administration has consistently kept: that governance must improve lives, create opportunities and empower our people to achieve their full potential,” Sanwo-Olu said.He described MESI as “that promise in action” and said the programme was intended to give residents the means to build businesses, create employment and attain financial independence.The governor said the intervention was particularly important because Lagos’ economy depended not only on large companies and major infrastructure projects but also on the millions of small-scale operators, artisans, traders and entrepreneurs whose activities sustain households and communities.“The strength of our economy depends not only on large corporations, but on the resilience and productivity of our small business owners, artisans, traders, women entrepreneurs and young people.“When we empower one entrepreneur, we strengthen a family; when we support thousands, we strengthen the economy of Lagos State,” he said.The governor similarly urged recipients to treat the equipment as business capital and use it to build enterprises that support others.“These tools are not simply items of empowerment; they are instruments for building a better future.“Make the most of them. Grow your businesses, create employment, support your families and become ambassadors of enterprise within your communities,” Sanwo-Olu said.The programme also illustrates the administration’s attempt to extend economic interventions beyond Lagos’ commercial centres.Sanwo-Olu said MESI had been designed to reach residents “from the mainland to the island, from densely populated communities to rural settlements and riverine areas”, arguing that a person’s location should not determine access to economic opportunity.“Our objective is simple: no hardworking Lagosian should be denied an opportunity because of where they live or the circumstances into which they were born,” he said.The governor linked the initiative to the social inclusion and economic development components of the state’s THEMES+ agenda, saying government had a responsibility to create conditions in which residents could build livelihoods rather than remain dependent on public assistance.“This administration believes that true leadership is about creating opportunities, not dependency.“Every empowerment package distributed today represents hope renewed, dreams restored and renewed confidence in the ability of our people to succeed through hard work and determination,” he said.The scale of the state’s intervention was further outlined by the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Bolaji Dada, who said 18,990 residents had received business start-up equipment through MESI since the inception of the Sanwo-Olu administration.She said the figure formed part of a wider portfolio of interventions through which the ministry had sought to combine skills development with economic and social support.Dada said more than 35,101 residents had graduated from the ministry’s tuition-free skills acquisition centres, while more than 1,100 people had received digital skills training.Related NewsLagos rallies police to strengthen security at healthcare facilitiesSanwo-Olu declares May 16 Lagos Boy Child DayFG votes N2.5tn for Abuja-Lokoja, Enugu-PH, 122 roadsShe also said the ministry’s “Ounje Lo Re Awo” Food and Nutrition Programme had provided food support to more than 4,040 vulnerable families, while its Life Skills and Economic Empowerment Programme had reached 18,241 residents in grassroots and riverine communities.According to the commissioner, more than 5,500 widows had also received financial grants to support their businesses and livelihoods.The figures point to the government’s attempt to build an intervention chain in which vocational training is followed by access to productive assets, rather than treating graduation from a skills programme as the endpoint.Dada said, “While our tuition-free skills acquisition centres continue to equip thousands of residents with vocational and entrepreneurial skills, we recognise that training alone is not enough.“The real journey begins when beneficiaries are equipped with the tools required to establish sustainable businesses,” she said.She said MESI was created “to bridge that gap by providing start-up equipment that transforms learning into livelihoods.”The equipment distributed on Tuesday ranged from sewing and stoning machines, photography cameras and stands, deep freezers and popcorn machines to vulcanising equipment, manicure and pedicure kits, cake mixers, baking equipment and complete hairdressing and barbing sets.Beneficiaries in food and agricultural businesses received two-phase gas burners with large cooking pots, cassava graters, pressers and fryers, agricultural dehydrators and other processing equipment.Women involved in the raw food trade were also provided with food commodities including rice, beans, garri and semovita.Dada said the items should not be viewed simply as government giveaways but as productive assets expected to generate income and employment.“These are not merely empowerment items; they are instruments of transformation that will generate income, create jobs, strengthen families and contribute meaningfully to the continued economic growth of Lagos State,” she said.Dada said the ministry’s economic empowerment efforts also extended beyond business equipment. Its interventions include agricultural support at the ministry’s Avia Farm in Badagry, where trained farmers have been given demonstration plots for cassava cultivation, oil palm production, organic vegetable farming and snail rearing.She also pointed to the ministry’s support for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence through psychosocial counselling, temporary shelter, legal assistance, rehabilitation, vocational training and enterprise support.The ministry, she said, was also working with women-focused non-governmental organisations registered with it to expand community outreach, family support, skills development and economic empowerment.The commissioner said the interventions were intended to address poverty from several directions, including income generation, food security, skills development and social protection.“For the ministry, our commitment to empowerment also extends to agriculture,” Dada said, adding that the government was using practical training and access to farming resources to help beneficiaries improve food production while creating sustainable income.She urged the latest beneficiaries to regard Tuesday’s distribution as the beginning of their responsibility to turn public support into viable businesses.“Government has placed confidence in your potential by investing in your future.“I encourage you to make the best use of these tools, build thriving enterprises, create employment opportunities, support your families and become worthy ambassadors of the Lagos State Government,” she said.Sanwo-Olu said the government would continue to support small businesses and expand economic inclusion across the state, insisting that the objective was to ensure that the benefits of governance reached communities beyond Lagos’ major economic centres.“We will continue to invest in our people, expand opportunities for small businesses, strengthen economic inclusion and ensure that the benefits of good governance reach every ward, every community and every household across Lagos State,” he said. Speaking at the event, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu said the 3,792 beneficiaries represented another stage in the administration’s effort to make economic empowerment a practical component of governance rather than a policy aspiration.“The strength of any government is measured not merely by the size of its economy or the scale of its infrastructure, but by how many lives it touches and how many people it empowers to succeed.“Today, we are reaffirming a promise this administration has consistently kept: that governance must improve lives, create opportunities and empower our people to achieve their full potential,” Sanwo-Olu said.He described MESI as “that promise in action” and said the programme was intended to give residents the means to build businesses, create employment and attain financial independence.The governor said the intervention was particularly important because Lagos’ economy depended not only on large companies and major infrastructure projects but also on the millions of small-scale operators, artisans, traders and entrepreneurs whose activities sustain households and communities.“The strength of our economy depends not only on large corporations, but on the resilience and productivity of our small business owners, artisans, traders, women entrepreneurs and young people.“When we empower one entrepreneur, we strengthen a family; when we support thousands, we strengthen the economy of Lagos State,” he said.The governor similarly urged recipients to treat the equipment as business capital and use it to build enterprises that support others.“These tools are not simply items of empowerment; they are instruments for building a better future.“Make the most of them. Grow your businesses, create employment, support your families and become ambassadors of enterprise within your communities,” Sanwo-Olu said.The programme also illustrates the administration’s attempt to extend economic interventions beyond Lagos’ commercial centres.Sanwo-Olu said MESI had been designed to reach residents “from the mainland to the island, from densely populated communities to rural settlements and riverine areas”, arguing that a person’s location should not determine access to economic opportunity.“Our objective is simple: no hardworking Lagosian should be denied an opportunity because of where they live or the circumstances into which they were born,” he said.The governor linked the initiative to the social inclusion and economic development components of the state’s THEMES+ agenda, saying government had a responsibility to create conditions in which residents could build livelihoods rather than remain dependent on public assistance.“This administration believes that true leadership is about creating opportunities, not dependency.“Every empowerment package distributed today represents hope renewed, dreams restored and renewed confidence in the ability of our people to succeed through hard work and determination,” he said.The scale of the state’s intervention was further outlined by the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Bolaji Dada, who said 18,990 residents had received business start-up equipment through MESI since the inception of the Sanwo-Olu administration.She said the figure formed part of a wider portfolio of interventions through which the ministry had sought to combine skills development with economic and social support.Dada said more than 35,101 residents had graduated from the ministry’s tuition-free skills acquisition centres, while more than 1,100 people had received digital skills training.Related NewsLagos rallies police to strengthen security at healthcare facilitiesSanwo-Olu declares May 16 Lagos Boy Child DayFG votes N2.5tn for Abuja-Lokoja, Enugu-PH, 122 roadsShe also said the ministry’s “Ounje Lo Re Awo” Food and Nutrition Programme had provided food support to more than 4,040 vulnerable families, while its Life Skills and Economic Empowerment Programme had reached 18,241 residents in grassroots and riverine communities.According to the commissioner, more than 5,500 widows had also received financial grants to support their businesses and livelihoods.The figures point to the government’s attempt to build an intervention chain in which vocational training is followed by access to productive assets, rather than treating graduation from a skills programme as the endpoint.Dada said, “While our tuition-free skills acquisition centres continue to equip thousands of residents with vocational and entrepreneurial skills, we recognise that training alone is not enough.“The real journey begins when beneficiaries are equipped with the tools required to establish sustainable businesses,” she said.She said MESI was created “to bridge that gap by providing start-up equipment that transforms learning into livelihoods.”The equipment distributed on Tuesday ranged from sewing and stoning machines, photography cameras and stands, deep freezers and popcorn machines to vulcanising equipment, manicure and pedicure kits, cake mixers, baking equipment and complete hairdressing and barbing sets.Beneficiaries in food and agricultural businesses received two-phase gas burners with large cooking pots, cassava graters, pressers and fryers, agricultural dehydrators and other processing equipment.Women involved in the raw food trade were also provided with food commodities including rice, beans, garri and semovita.Dada said the items should not be viewed simply as government giveaways but as productive assets expected to generate income and employment.“These are not merely empowerment items; they are instruments of transformation that will generate income, create jobs, strengthen families and contribute meaningfully to the continued economic growth of Lagos State,” she said.Dada said the ministry’s economic empowerment efforts also extended beyond business equipment. Its interventions include agricultural support at the ministry’s Avia Farm in Badagry, where trained farmers have been given demonstration plots for cassava cultivation, oil palm production, organic vegetable farming and snail rearing.She also pointed to the ministry’s support for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence through psychosocial counselling, temporary shelter, legal assistance, rehabilitation, vocational training and enterprise support.The ministry, she said, was also working with women-focused non-governmental organisations registered with it to expand community outreach, family support, skills development and economic empowerment.The commissioner said the interventions were intended to address poverty from several directions, including income generation, food security, skills development and social protection.“For the ministry, our commitment to empowerment also extends to agriculture,” Dada said, adding that the government was using practical training and access to farming resources to help beneficiaries improve food production while creating sustainable income.She urged the latest beneficiaries to regard Tuesday’s distribution as the beginning of their responsibility to turn public support into viable businesses.“Government has placed confidence in your potential by investing in your future.“I encourage you to make the best use of these tools, build thriving enterprises, create employment opportunities, support your families and become worthy ambassadors of the Lagos State Government,” she said.Sanwo-Olu said the government would continue to support small businesses and expand economic inclusion across the state, insisting that the objective was to ensure that the benefits of governance reached communities beyond Lagos’ major economic centres.“We will continue to invest in our people, expand opportunities for small businesses, strengthen economic inclusion and ensure that the benefits of good governance reach every ward, every community and every household across Lagos State,” he said. “The strength of any government is measured not merely by the size of its economy or the scale of its infrastructure, but by how many lives it touches and how many people it empowers to succeed.“Today, we are reaffirming a promise this administration has consistently kept: that governance must improve lives, create opportunities and empower our people to achieve their full potential,” Sanwo-Olu said.He described MESI as “that promise in action” and said the programme was intended to give residents the means to build businesses, create employment and attain financial independence.The governor said the intervention was particularly important because Lagos’ economy depended not only on large companies and major infrastructure projects but also on the millions of small-scale operators, artisans, traders and entrepreneurs whose activities sustain households and communities.“The strength of our economy depends not only on large corporations, but on the resilience and productivity of our small business owners, artisans, traders, women entrepreneurs and young people.“When we empower one entrepreneur, we strengthen a family; when we support thousands, we strengthen the economy of Lagos State,” he said.The governor similarly urged recipients to treat the equipment as business capital and use it to build enterprises that support others.“These tools are not simply items of empowerment; they are instruments for building a better future.“Make the most of them. Grow your businesses, create employment, support your families and become ambassadors of enterprise within your communities,” Sanwo-Olu said.The programme also illustrates the administration’s attempt to extend economic interventions beyond Lagos’ commercial centres.Sanwo-Olu said MESI had been designed to reach residents “from the mainland to the island, from densely populated communities to rural settlements and riverine areas”, arguing that a person’s location should not determine access to economic opportunity.“Our objective is simple: no hardworking Lagosian should be denied an opportunity because of where they live or the circumstances into which they were born,” he said.The governor linked the initiative to the social inclusion and economic development components of the state’s THEMES+ agenda, saying government had a responsibility to create conditions in which residents could build livelihoods rather than remain dependent on public assistance.“This administration believes that true leadership is about creating opportunities, not dependency.“Every empowerment package distributed today represents hope renewed, dreams restored and renewed confidence in the ability of our people to succeed through hard work and determination,” he said.The scale of the state’s intervention was further outlined by the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Bolaji Dada, who said 18,990 residents had received business start-up equipment through MESI since the inception of the Sanwo-Olu administration.She said the figure formed part of a wider portfolio of interventions through which the ministry had sought to combine skills development with economic and social support.Dada said more than 35,101 residents had graduated from the ministry’s tuition-free skills acquisition centres, while more than 1,100 people had received digital skills training.Related NewsLagos rallies police to strengthen security at healthcare facilitiesSanwo-Olu declares May 16 Lagos Boy Child DayFG votes N2.5tn for Abuja-Lokoja, Enugu-PH, 122 roadsShe also said the ministry’s “Ounje Lo Re Awo” Food and Nutrition Programme had provided food support to more than 4,040 vulnerable families, while its Life Skills and Economic Empowerment Programme had reached 18,241 residents in grassroots and riverine communities.According to the commissioner, more than 5,500 widows had also received financial grants to support their businesses and livelihoods.The figures point to the government’s attempt to build an intervention chain in which vocational training is followed by access to productive assets, rather than treating graduation from a skills programme as the endpoint.Dada said, “While our tuition-free skills acquisition centres continue to equip thousands of residents with vocational and entrepreneurial skills, we recognise that training alone is not enough.“The real journey begins when beneficiaries are equipped with the tools required to establish sustainable businesses,” she said.She said MESI was created “to bridge that gap by providing start-up equipment that transforms learning into livelihoods.”The equipment distributed on Tuesday ranged from sewing and stoning machines, photography cameras and stands, deep freezers and popcorn machines to vulcanising equipment, manicure and pedicure kits, cake mixers, baking equipment and complete hairdressing and barbing sets.Beneficiaries in food and agricultural businesses received two-phase gas burners with large cooking pots, cassava graters, pressers and fryers, agricultural dehydrators and other processing equipment.Women involved in the raw food trade were also provided with food commodities including rice, beans, garri and semovita.Dada said the items should not be viewed simply as government giveaways but as productive assets expected to generate income and employment.“These are not merely empowerment items; they are instruments of transformation that will generate income, create jobs, strengthen families and contribute meaningfully to the continued economic growth of Lagos State,” she said.Dada said the ministry’s economic empowerment efforts also extended beyond business equipment. Its interventions include agricultural support at the ministry’s Avia Farm in Badagry, where trained farmers have been given demonstration plots for cassava cultivation, oil palm production, organic vegetable farming and snail rearing.She also pointed to the ministry’s support for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence through psychosocial counselling, temporary shelter, legal assistance, rehabilitation, vocational training and enterprise support.The ministry, she said, was also working with women-focused non-governmental organisations registered with it to expand community outreach, family support, skills development and economic empowerment.The commissioner said the interventions were intended to address poverty from several directions, including income generation, food security, skills development and social protection.“For the ministry, our commitment to empowerment also extends to agriculture,” Dada said, adding that the government was using practical training and access to farming resources to help beneficiaries improve food production while creating sustainable income.She urged the latest beneficiaries to regard Tuesday’s distribution as the beginning of their responsibility to turn public support into viable businesses.“Government has placed confidence in your potential by investing in your future.“I encourage you to make the best use of these tools, build thriving enterprises, create employment opportunities, support your families and become worthy ambassadors of the Lagos State Government,” she said.Sanwo-Olu said the government would continue to support small businesses and expand economic inclusion across the state, insisting that the objective was to ensure that the benefits of governance reached communities beyond Lagos’ major economic centres.“We will continue to invest in our people, expand opportunities for small businesses, strengthen economic inclusion and ensure that the benefits of good governance reach every ward, every community and every household across Lagos State,” he said. “Today, we are reaffirming a promise this administration has consistently kept: that governance must improve lives, create opportunities and empower our people to achieve their full potential,” Sanwo-Olu said.He described MESI as “that promise in action” and said the programme was intended to give residents the means to build businesses, create employment and attain financial independence.The governor said the intervention was particularly important because Lagos’ economy depended not only on large companies and major infrastructure projects but also on the millions of small-scale operators, artisans, traders and entrepreneurs whose activities sustain households and communities.“The strength of our economy depends not only on large corporations, but on the resilience and productivity of our small business owners, artisans, traders, women entrepreneurs and young people.“When we empower one entrepreneur, we strengthen a family; when we support thousands, we strengthen the economy of Lagos State,” he said.The governor similarly urged recipients to treat the equipment as business capital and use it to build enterprises that support others.“These tools are not simply items of empowerment; they are instruments for building a better future.“Make the most of them. Grow your businesses, create employment, support your families and become ambassadors of enterprise within your communities,” Sanwo-Olu said.The programme also illustrates the administration’s attempt to extend economic interventions beyond Lagos’ commercial centres.Sanwo-Olu said MESI had been designed to reach residents “from the mainland to the island, from densely populated communities to rural settlements and riverine areas”, arguing that a person’s location should not determine access to economic opportunity.“Our objective is simple: no hardworking Lagosian should be denied an opportunity because of where they live or the circumstances into which they were born,” he said.The governor linked the initiative to the social inclusion and economic development components of the state’s THEMES+ agenda, saying government had a responsibility to create conditions in which residents could build livelihoods rather than remain dependent on public assistance.“This administration believes that true leadership is about creating opportunities, not dependency.“Every empowerment package distributed today represents hope renewed, dreams restored and renewed confidence in the ability of our people to succeed through hard work and determination,” he said.The scale of the state’s intervention was further outlined by the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Bolaji Dada, who said 18,990 residents had received business start-up equipment through MESI since the inception of the Sanwo-Olu administration.She said the figure formed part of a wider portfolio of interventions through which the ministry had sought to combine skills development with economic and social support.Dada said more than 35,101 residents had graduated from the ministry’s tuition-free skills acquisition centres, while more than 1,100 people had received digital skills training.Related NewsLagos rallies police to strengthen security at healthcare facilitiesSanwo-Olu declares May 16 Lagos Boy Child DayFG votes N2.5tn for Abuja-Lokoja, Enugu-PH, 122 roadsShe also said the ministry’s “Ounje Lo Re Awo” Food and Nutrition Programme had provided food support to more than 4,040 vulnerable families, while its Life Skills and Economic Empowerment Programme had reached 18,241 residents in grassroots and riverine communities.According to the commissioner, more than 5,500 widows had also received financial grants to support their businesses and livelihoods.The figures point to the government’s attempt to build an intervention chain in which vocational training is followed by access to productive assets, rather than treating graduation from a skills programme as the endpoint.Dada said, “While our tuition-free skills acquisition centres continue to equip thousands of residents with vocational and entrepreneurial skills, we recognise that training alone is not enough.“The real journey begins when beneficiaries are equipped with the tools required to establish sustainable businesses,” she said.She said MESI was created “to bridge that gap by providing start-up equipment that transforms learning into livelihoods.”The equipment distributed on Tuesday ranged from sewing and stoning machines, photography cameras and stands, deep freezers and popcorn machines to vulcanising equipment, manicure and pedicure kits, cake mixers, baking equipment and complete hairdressing and barbing sets.Beneficiaries in food and agricultural businesses received two-phase gas burners with large cooking pots, cassava graters, pressers and fryers, agricultural dehydrators and other processing equipment.Women involved in the raw food trade were also provided with food commodities including rice, beans, garri and semovita.Dada said the items should not be viewed simply as government giveaways but as productive assets expected to generate income and employment.“These are not merely empowerment items; they are instruments of transformation that will generate income, create jobs, strengthen families and contribute meaningfully to the continued economic growth of Lagos State,” she said.Dada said the ministry’s economic empowerment efforts also extended beyond business equipment. Its interventions include agricultural support at the ministry’s Avia Farm in Badagry, where trained farmers have been given demonstration plots for cassava cultivation, oil palm production, organic vegetable farming and snail rearing.She also pointed to the ministry’s support for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence through psychosocial counselling, temporary shelter, legal assistance, rehabilitation, vocational training and enterprise support.The ministry, she said, was also working with women-focused non-governmental organisations registered with it to expand community outreach, family support, skills development and economic empowerment.The commissioner said the interventions were intended to address poverty from several directions, including income generation, food security, skills development and social protection.“For the ministry, our commitment to empowerment also extends to agriculture,” Dada said, adding that the government was using practical training and access to farming resources to help beneficiaries improve food production while creating sustainable income.She urged the latest beneficiaries to regard Tuesday’s distribution as the beginning of their responsibility to turn public support into viable businesses.“Government has placed confidence in your potential by investing in your future.“I encourage you to make the best use of these tools, build thriving enterprises, create employment opportunities, support your families and become worthy ambassadors of the Lagos State Government,” she said.Sanwo-Olu said the government would continue to support small businesses and expand economic inclusion across the state, insisting that the objective was to ensure that the benefits of governance reached communities beyond Lagos’ major economic centres.“We will continue to invest in our people, expand opportunities for small businesses, strengthen economic inclusion and ensure that the benefits of good governance reach every ward, every community and every household across Lagos State,” he said. He described MESI as “that promise in action” and said the programme was intended to give residents the means to build businesses, create employment and attain financial independence.The governor said the intervention was particularly important because Lagos’ economy depended not only on large companies and major infrastructure projects but also on the millions of small-scale operators, artisans, traders and entrepreneurs whose activities sustain households and communities.“The strength of our economy depends not only on large corporations, but on the resilience and productivity of our small business owners, artisans, traders, women entrepreneurs and young people.“When we empower one entrepreneur, we strengthen a family; when we support thousands, we strengthen the economy of Lagos State,” he said.The governor similarly urged recipients to treat the equipment as business capital and use it to build enterprises that support others.“These tools are not simply items of empowerment; they are instruments for building a better future.“Make the most of them. Grow your businesses, create employment, support your families and become ambassadors of enterprise within your communities,” Sanwo-Olu said.The programme also illustrates the administration’s attempt to extend economic interventions beyond Lagos’ commercial centres.Sanwo-Olu said MESI had been designed to reach residents “from the mainland to the island, from densely populated communities to rural settlements and riverine areas”, arguing that a person’s location should not determine access to economic opportunity.“Our objective is simple: no hardworking Lagosian should be denied an opportunity because of where they live or the circumstances into which they were born,” he said.The governor linked the initiative to the social inclusion and economic development components of the state’s THEMES+ agenda, saying government had a responsibility to create conditions in which residents could build livelihoods rather than remain dependent on public assistance.“This administration believes that true leadership is about creating opportunities, not dependency.“Every empowerment package distributed today represents hope renewed, dreams restored and renewed confidence in the ability of our people to succeed through hard work and determination,” he said.The scale of the state’s intervention was further outlined by the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Bolaji Dada, who said 18,990 residents had received business start-up equipment through MESI since the inception of the Sanwo-Olu administration.She said the figure formed part of a wider portfolio of interventions through which the ministry had sought to combine skills development with economic and social support.Dada said more than 35,101 residents had graduated from the ministry’s tuition-free skills acquisition centres, while more than 1,100 people had received digital skills training.Related NewsLagos rallies police to strengthen security at healthcare facilitiesSanwo-Olu declares May 16 Lagos Boy Child DayFG votes N2.5tn for Abuja-Lokoja, Enugu-PH, 122 roadsShe also said the ministry’s “Ounje Lo Re Awo” Food and Nutrition Programme had provided food support to more than 4,040 vulnerable families, while its Life Skills and Economic Empowerment Programme had reached 18,241 residents in grassroots and riverine communities.According to the commissioner, more than 5,500 widows had also received financial grants to support their businesses and livelihoods.The figures point to the government’s attempt to build an intervention chain in which vocational training is followed by access to productive assets, rather than treating graduation from a skills programme as the endpoint.Dada said, “While our tuition-free skills acquisition centres continue to equip thousands of residents with vocational and entrepreneurial skills, we recognise that training alone is not enough.“The real journey begins when beneficiaries are equipped with the tools required to establish sustainable businesses,” she said.She said MESI was created “to bridge that gap by providing start-up equipment that transforms learning into livelihoods.”The equipment distributed on Tuesday ranged from sewing and stoning machines, photography cameras and stands, deep freezers and popcorn machines to vulcanising equipment, manicure and pedicure kits, cake mixers, baking equipment and complete hairdressing and barbing sets.Beneficiaries in food and agricultural businesses received two-phase gas burners with large cooking pots, cassava graters, pressers and fryers, agricultural dehydrators and other processing equipment.Women involved in the raw food trade were also provided with food commodities including rice, beans, garri and semovita.Dada said the items should not be viewed simply as government giveaways but as productive assets expected to generate income and employment.“These are not merely empowerment items; they are instruments of transformation that will generate income, create jobs, strengthen families and contribute meaningfully to the continued economic growth of Lagos State,” she said.Dada said the ministry’s economic empowerment efforts also extended beyond business equipment. Its interventions include agricultural support at the ministry’s Avia Farm in Badagry, where trained farmers have been given demonstration plots for cassava cultivation, oil palm production, organic vegetable farming and snail rearing.She also pointed to the ministry’s support for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence through psychosocial counselling, temporary shelter, legal assistance, rehabilitation, vocational training and enterprise support.The ministry, she said, was also working with women-focused non-governmental organisations registered with it to expand community outreach, family support, skills development and economic empowerment.The commissioner said the interventions were intended to address poverty from several directions, including income generation, food security, skills development and social protection.“For the ministry, our commitment to empowerment also extends to agriculture,” Dada said, adding that the government was using practical training and access to farming resources to help beneficiaries improve food production while creating sustainable income.She urged the latest beneficiaries to regard Tuesday’s distribution as the beginning of their responsibility to turn public support into viable businesses.“Government has placed confidence in your potential by investing in your future.“I encourage you to make the best use of these tools, build thriving enterprises, create employment opportunities, support your families and become worthy ambassadors of the Lagos State Government,” she said.Sanwo-Olu said the government would continue to support small businesses and expand economic inclusion across the state, insisting that the objective was to ensure that the benefits of governance reached communities beyond Lagos’ major economic centres.“We will continue to invest in our people, expand opportunities for small businesses, strengthen economic inclusion and ensure that the benefits of good governance reach every ward, every community and every household across Lagos State,” he said. The governor said the intervention was particularly important because Lagos’ economy depended not only on large companies and major infrastructure projects but also on the millions of small-scale operators, artisans, traders and entrepreneurs whose activities sustain households and communities.“The strength of our economy depends not only on large corporations, but on the resilience and productivity of our small business owners, artisans, traders, women entrepreneurs and young people.“When we empower one entrepreneur, we strengthen a family; when we support thousands, we strengthen the economy of Lagos State,” he said.The governor similarly urged recipients to treat the equipment as business capital and use it to build enterprises that support others.“These tools are not simply items of empowerment; they are instruments for building a better future.“Make the most of them. Grow your businesses, create employment, support your families and become ambassadors of enterprise within your communities,” Sanwo-Olu said.The programme also illustrates the administration’s attempt to extend economic interventions beyond Lagos’ commercial centres.Sanwo-Olu said MESI had been designed to reach residents “from the mainland to the island, from densely populated communities to rural settlements and riverine areas”, arguing that a person’s location should not determine access to economic opportunity.“Our objective is simple: no hardworking Lagosian should be denied an opportunity because of where they live or the circumstances into which they were born,” he said.The governor linked the initiative to the social inclusion and economic development components of the state’s THEMES+ agenda, saying government had a responsibility to create conditions in which residents could build livelihoods rather than remain dependent on public assistance.“This administration believes that true leadership is about creating opportunities, not dependency.“Every empowerment package distributed today represents hope renewed, dreams restored and renewed confidence in the ability of our people to succeed through hard work and determination,” he said.The scale of the state’s intervention was further outlined by the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Bolaji Dada, who said 18,990 residents had received business start-up equipment through MESI since the inception of the Sanwo-Olu administration.She said the figure formed part of a wider portfolio of interventions through which the ministry had sought to combine skills development with economic and social support.Dada said more than 35,101 residents had graduated from the ministry’s tuition-free skills acquisition centres, while more than 1,100 people had received digital skills training.Related NewsLagos rallies police to strengthen security at healthcare facilitiesSanwo-Olu declares May 16 Lagos Boy Child DayFG votes N2.5tn for Abuja-Lokoja, Enugu-PH, 122 roadsShe also said the ministry’s “Ounje Lo Re Awo” Food and Nutrition Programme had provided food support to more than 4,040 vulnerable families, while its Life Skills and Economic Empowerment Programme had reached 18,241 residents in grassroots and riverine communities.According to the commissioner, more than 5,500 widows had also received financial grants to support their businesses and livelihoods.The figures point to the government’s attempt to build an intervention chain in which vocational training is followed by access to productive assets, rather than treating graduation from a skills programme as the endpoint.Dada said, “While our tuition-free skills acquisition centres continue to equip thousands of residents with vocational and entrepreneurial skills, we recognise that training alone is not enough.“The real journey begins when beneficiaries are equipped with the tools required to establish sustainable businesses,” she said.She said MESI was created “to bridge that gap by providing start-up equipment that transforms learning into livelihoods.”The equipment distributed on Tuesday ranged from sewing and stoning machines, photography cameras and stands, deep freezers and popcorn machines to vulcanising equipment, manicure and pedicure kits, cake mixers, baking equipment and complete hairdressing and barbing sets.Beneficiaries in food and agricultural businesses received two-phase gas burners with large cooking pots, cassava graters, pressers and fryers, agricultural dehydrators and other processing equipment.Women involved in the raw food trade were also provided with food commodities including rice, beans, garri and semovita.Dada said the items should not be viewed simply as government giveaways but as productive assets expected to generate income and employment.“These are not merely empowerment items; they are instruments of transformation that will generate income, create jobs, strengthen families and contribute meaningfully to the continued economic growth of Lagos State,” she said.Dada said the ministry’s economic empowerment efforts also extended beyond business equipment. Its interventions include agricultural support at the ministry’s Avia Farm in Badagry, where trained farmers have been given demonstration plots for cassava cultivation, oil palm production, organic vegetable farming and snail rearing.She also pointed to the ministry’s support for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence through psychosocial counselling, temporary shelter, legal assistance, rehabilitation, vocational training and enterprise support.The ministry, she said, was also working with women-focused non-governmental organisations registered with it to expand community outreach, family support, skills development and economic empowerment.The commissioner said the interventions were intended to address poverty from several directions, including income generation, food security, skills development and social protection.“For the ministry, our commitment to empowerment also extends to agriculture,” Dada said, adding that the government was using practical training and access to farming resources to help beneficiaries improve food production while creating sustainable income.She urged the latest beneficiaries to regard Tuesday’s distribution as the beginning of their responsibility to turn public support into viable businesses.“Government has placed confidence in your potential by investing in your future.“I encourage you to make the best use of these tools, build thriving enterprises, create employment opportunities, support your families and become worthy ambassadors of the Lagos State Government,” she said.Sanwo-Olu said the government would continue to support small businesses and expand economic inclusion across the state, insisting that the objective was to ensure that the benefits of governance reached communities beyond Lagos’ major economic centres.“We will continue to invest in our people, expand opportunities for small businesses, strengthen economic inclusion and ensure that the benefits of good governance reach every ward, every community and every household across Lagos State,” he said. “The strength of our economy depends not only on large corporations, but on the resilience and productivity of our small business owners, artisans, traders, women entrepreneurs and young people.“When we empower one entrepreneur, we strengthen a family; when we support thousands, we strengthen the economy of Lagos State,” he said.The governor similarly urged recipients to treat the equipment as business capital and use it to build enterprises that support others.“These tools are not simply items of empowerment; they are instruments for building a better future.“Make the most of them. Grow your businesses, create employment, support your families and become ambassadors of enterprise within your communities,” Sanwo-Olu said.The programme also illustrates the administration’s attempt to extend economic interventions beyond Lagos’ commercial centres.Sanwo-Olu said MESI had been designed to reach residents “from the mainland to the island, from densely populated communities to rural settlements and riverine areas”, arguing that a person’s location should not determine access to economic opportunity.“Our objective is simple: no hardworking Lagosian should be denied an opportunity because of where they live or the circumstances into which they were born,” he said.The governor linked the initiative to the social inclusion and economic development components of the state’s THEMES+ agenda, saying government had a responsibility to create conditions in which residents could build livelihoods rather than remain dependent on public assistance.“This administration believes that true leadership is about creating opportunities, not dependency.“Every empowerment package distributed today represents hope renewed, dreams restored and renewed confidence in the ability of our people to succeed through hard work and determination,” he said.The scale of the state’s intervention was further outlined by the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Bolaji Dada, who said 18,990 residents had received business start-up equipment through MESI since the inception of the Sanwo-Olu administration.She said the figure formed part of a wider portfolio of interventions through which the ministry had sought to combine skills development with economic and social support.Dada said more than 35,101 residents had graduated from the ministry’s tuition-free skills acquisition centres, while more than 1,100 people had received digital skills training.Related NewsLagos rallies police to strengthen security at healthcare facilitiesSanwo-Olu declares May 16 Lagos Boy Child DayFG votes N2.5tn for Abuja-Lokoja, Enugu-PH, 122 roadsShe also said the ministry’s “Ounje Lo Re Awo” Food and Nutrition Programme had provided food support to more than 4,040 vulnerable families, while its Life Skills and Economic Empowerment Programme had reached 18,241 residents in grassroots and riverine communities.According to the commissioner, more than 5,500 widows had also received financial grants to support their businesses and livelihoods.The figures point to the government’s attempt to build an intervention chain in which vocational training is followed by access to productive assets, rather than treating graduation from a skills programme as the endpoint.Dada said, “While our tuition-free skills acquisition centres continue to equip thousands of residents with vocational and entrepreneurial skills, we recognise that training alone is not enough.“The real journey begins when beneficiaries are equipped with the tools required to establish sustainable businesses,” she said.She said MESI was created “to bridge that gap by providing start-up equipment that transforms learning into livelihoods.”The equipment distributed on Tuesday ranged from sewing and stoning machines, photography cameras and stands, deep freezers and popcorn machines to vulcanising equipment, manicure and pedicure kits, cake mixers, baking equipment and complete hairdressing and barbing sets.Beneficiaries in food and agricultural businesses received two-phase gas burners with large cooking pots, cassava graters, pressers and fryers, agricultural dehydrators and other processing equipment.Women involved in the raw food trade were also provided with food commodities including rice, beans, garri and semovita.Dada said the items should not be viewed simply as government giveaways but as productive assets expected to generate income and employment.“These are not merely empowerment items; they are instruments of transformation that will generate income, create jobs, strengthen families and contribute meaningfully to the continued economic growth of Lagos State,” she said.Dada said the ministry’s economic empowerment efforts also extended beyond business equipment. Its interventions include agricultural support at the ministry’s Avia Farm in Badagry, where trained farmers have been given demonstration plots for cassava cultivation, oil palm production, organic vegetable farming and snail rearing.She also pointed to the ministry’s support for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence through psychosocial counselling, temporary shelter, legal assistance, rehabilitation, vocational training and enterprise support.The ministry, she said, was also working with women-focused non-governmental organisations registered with it to expand community outreach, family support, skills development and economic empowerment.The commissioner said the interventions were intended to address poverty from several directions, including income generation, food security, skills development and social protection.“For the ministry, our commitment to empowerment also extends to agriculture,” Dada said, adding that the government was using practical training and access to farming resources to help beneficiaries improve food production while creating sustainable income.She urged the latest beneficiaries to regard Tuesday’s distribution as the beginning of their responsibility to turn public support into viable businesses.“Government has placed confidence in your potential by investing in your future.“I encourage you to make the best use of these tools, build thriving enterprises, create employment opportunities, support your families and become worthy ambassadors of the Lagos State Government,” she said.Sanwo-Olu said the government would continue to support small businesses and expand economic inclusion across the state, insisting that the objective was to ensure that the benefits of governance reached communities beyond Lagos’ major economic centres.“We will continue to invest in our people, expand opportunities for small businesses, strengthen economic inclusion and ensure that the benefits of good governance reach every ward, every community and every household across Lagos State,” he said. “When we empower one entrepreneur, we strengthen a family; when we support thousands, we strengthen the economy of Lagos State,” he said.The governor similarly urged recipients to treat the equipment as business capital and use it to build enterprises that support others.“These tools are not simply items of empowerment; they are instruments for building a better future.“Make the most of them. Grow your businesses, create employment, support your families and become ambassadors of enterprise within your communities,” Sanwo-Olu said.The programme also illustrates the administration’s attempt to extend economic interventions beyond Lagos’ commercial centres.Sanwo-Olu said MESI had been designed to reach residents “from the mainland to the island, from densely populated communities to rural settlements and riverine areas”, arguing that a person’s location should not determine access to economic opportunity.“Our objective is simple: no hardworking Lagosian should be denied an opportunity because of where they live or the circumstances into which they were born,” he said.The governor linked the initiative to the social inclusion and economic development components of the state’s THEMES+ agenda, saying government had a responsibility to create conditions in which residents could build livelihoods rather than remain dependent on public assistance.“This administration believes that true leadership is about creating opportunities, not dependency.“Every empowerment package distributed today represents hope renewed, dreams restored and renewed confidence in the ability of our people to succeed through hard work and determination,” he said.The scale of the state’s intervention was further outlined by the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Bolaji Dada, who said 18,990 residents had received business start-up equipment through MESI since the inception of the Sanwo-Olu administration.She said the figure formed part of a wider portfolio of interventions through which the ministry had sought to combine skills development with economic and social support.Dada said more than 35,101 residents had graduated from the ministry’s tuition-free skills acquisition centres, while more than 1,100 people had received digital skills training.Related NewsLagos rallies police to strengthen security at healthcare facilitiesSanwo-Olu declares May 16 Lagos Boy Child DayFG votes N2.5tn for Abuja-Lokoja, Enugu-PH, 122 roadsShe also said the ministry’s “Ounje Lo Re Awo” Food and Nutrition Programme had provided food support to more than 4,040 vulnerable families, while its Life Skills and Economic Empowerment Programme had reached 18,241 residents in grassroots and riverine communities.According to the commissioner, more than 5,500 widows had also received financial grants to support their businesses and livelihoods.The figures point to the government’s attempt to build an intervention chain in which vocational training is followed by access to productive assets, rather than treating graduation from a skills programme as the endpoint.Dada said, “While our tuition-free skills acquisition centres continue to equip thousands of residents with vocational and entrepreneurial skills, we recognise that training alone is not enough.“The real journey begins when beneficiaries are equipped with the tools required to establish sustainable businesses,” she said.She said MESI was created “to bridge that gap by providing start-up equipment that transforms learning into livelihoods.”The equipment distributed on Tuesday ranged from sewing and stoning machines, photography cameras and stands, deep freezers and popcorn machines to vulcanising equipment, manicure and pedicure kits, cake mixers, baking equipment and complete hairdressing and barbing sets.Beneficiaries in food and agricultural businesses received two-phase gas burners with large cooking pots, cassava graters, pressers and fryers, agricultural dehydrators and other processing equipment.Women involved in the raw food trade were also provided with food commodities including rice, beans, garri and semovita.Dada said the items should not be viewed simply as government giveaways but as productive assets expected to generate income and employment.“These are not merely empowerment items; they are instruments of transformation that will generate income, create jobs, strengthen families and contribute meaningfully to the continued economic growth of Lagos State,” she said.Dada said the ministry’s economic empowerment efforts also extended beyond business equipment. Its interventions include agricultural support at the ministry’s Avia Farm in Badagry, where trained farmers have been given demonstration plots for cassava cultivation, oil palm production, organic vegetable farming and snail rearing.She also pointed to the ministry’s support for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence through psychosocial counselling, temporary shelter, legal assistance, rehabilitation, vocational training and enterprise support.The ministry, she said, was also working with women-focused non-governmental organisations registered with it to expand community outreach, family support, skills development and economic empowerment.The commissioner said the interventions were intended to address poverty from several directions, including income generation, food security, skills development and social protection.“For the ministry, our commitment to empowerment also extends to agriculture,” Dada said, adding that the government was using practical training and access to farming resources to help beneficiaries improve food production while creating sustainable income.She urged the latest beneficiaries to regard Tuesday’s distribution as the beginning of their responsibility to turn public support into viable businesses.“Government has placed confidence in your potential by investing in your future.“I encourage you to make the best use of these tools, build thriving enterprises, create employment opportunities, support your families and become worthy ambassadors of the Lagos State Government,” she said.Sanwo-Olu said the government would continue to support small businesses and expand economic inclusion across the state, insisting that the objective was to ensure that the benefits of governance reached communities beyond Lagos’ major economic centres.“We will continue to invest in our people, expand opportunities for small businesses, strengthen economic inclusion and ensure that the benefits of good governance reach every ward, every community and every household across Lagos State,” he said. The governor similarly urged recipients to treat the equipment as business capital and use it to build enterprises that support others.“These tools are not simply items of empowerment; they are instruments for building a better future.“Make the most of them. Grow your businesses, create employment, support your families and become ambassadors of enterprise within your communities,” Sanwo-Olu said.The programme also illustrates the administration’s attempt to extend economic interventions beyond Lagos’ commercial centres.Sanwo-Olu said MESI had been designed to reach residents “from the mainland to the island, from densely populated communities to rural settlements and riverine areas”, arguing that a person’s location should not determine access to economic opportunity.“Our objective is simple: no hardworking Lagosian should be denied an opportunity because of where they live or the circumstances into which they were born,” he said.The governor linked the initiative to the social inclusion and economic development components of the state’s THEMES+ agenda, saying government had a responsibility to create conditions in which residents could build livelihoods rather than remain dependent on public assistance.“This administration believes that true leadership is about creating opportunities, not dependency.“Every empowerment package distributed today represents hope renewed, dreams restored and renewed confidence in the ability of our people to succeed through hard work and determination,” he said.The scale of the state’s intervention was further outlined by the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Bolaji Dada, who said 18,990 residents had received business start-up equipment through MESI since the inception of the Sanwo-Olu administration.She said the figure formed part of a wider portfolio of interventions through which the ministry had sought to combine skills development with economic and social support.Dada said more than 35,101 residents had graduated from the ministry’s tuition-free skills acquisition centres, while more than 1,100 people had received digital skills training.Related NewsLagos rallies police to strengthen security at healthcare facilitiesSanwo-Olu declares May 16 Lagos Boy Child DayFG votes N2.5tn for Abuja-Lokoja, Enugu-PH, 122 roadsShe also said the ministry’s “Ounje Lo Re Awo” Food and Nutrition Programme had provided food support to more than 4,040 vulnerable families, while its Life Skills and Economic Empowerment Programme had reached 18,241 residents in grassroots and riverine communities.According to the commissioner, more than 5,500 widows had also received financial grants to support their businesses and livelihoods.The figures point to the government’s attempt to build an intervention chain in which vocational training is followed by access to productive assets, rather than treating graduation from a skills programme as the endpoint.Dada said, “While our tuition-free skills acquisition centres continue to equip thousands of residents with vocational and entrepreneurial skills, we recognise that training alone is not enough.“The real journey begins when beneficiaries are equipped with the tools required to establish sustainable businesses,” she said.She said MESI was created “to bridge that gap by providing start-up equipment that transforms learning into livelihoods.”The equipment distributed on Tuesday ranged from sewing and stoning machines, photography cameras and stands, deep freezers and popcorn machines to vulcanising equipment, manicure and pedicure kits, cake mixers, baking equipment and complete hairdressing and barbing sets.Beneficiaries in food and agricultural businesses received two-phase gas burners with large cooking pots, cassava graters, pressers and fryers, agricultural dehydrators and other processing equipment.Women involved in the raw food trade were also provided with food commodities including rice, beans, garri and semovita.Dada said the items should not be viewed simply as government giveaways but as productive assets expected to generate income and employment.“These are not merely empowerment items; they are instruments of transformation that will generate income, create jobs, strengthen families and contribute meaningfully to the continued economic growth of Lagos State,” she said.Dada said the ministry’s economic empowerment efforts also extended beyond business equipment. Its interventions include agricultural support at the ministry’s Avia Farm in Badagry, where trained farmers have been given demonstration plots for cassava cultivation, oil palm production, organic vegetable farming and snail rearing.She also pointed to the ministry’s support for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence through psychosocial counselling, temporary shelter, legal assistance, rehabilitation, vocational training and enterprise support.The ministry, she said, was also working with women-focused non-governmental organisations registered with it to expand community outreach, family support, skills development and economic empowerment.The commissioner said the interventions were intended to address poverty from several directions, including income generation, food security, skills development and social protection.“For the ministry, our commitment to empowerment also extends to agriculture,” Dada said, adding that the government was using practical training and access to farming resources to help beneficiaries improve food production while creating sustainable income.She urged the latest beneficiaries to regard Tuesday’s distribution as the beginning of their responsibility to turn public support into viable businesses.“Government has placed confidence in your potential by investing in your future.“I encourage you to make the best use of these tools, build thriving enterprises, create employment opportunities, support your families and become worthy ambassadors of the Lagos State Government,” she said.Sanwo-Olu said the government would continue to support small businesses and expand economic inclusion across the state, insisting that the objective was to ensure that the benefits of governance reached communities beyond Lagos’ major economic centres.“We will continue to invest in our people, expand opportunities for small businesses, strengthen economic inclusion and ensure that the benefits of good governance reach every ward, every community and every household across Lagos State,” he said. “These tools are not simply items of empowerment; they are instruments for building a better future.“Make the most of them. Grow your businesses, create employment, support your families and become ambassadors of enterprise within your communities,” Sanwo-Olu said.The programme also illustrates the administration’s attempt to extend economic interventions beyond Lagos’ commercial centres.Sanwo-Olu said MESI had been designed to reach residents “from the mainland to the island, from densely populated communities to rural settlements and riverine areas”, arguing that a person’s location should not determine access to economic opportunity.“Our objective is simple: no hardworking Lagosian should be denied an opportunity because of where they live or the circumstances into which they were born,” he said.The governor linked the initiative to the social inclusion and economic development components of the state’s THEMES+ agenda, saying government had a responsibility to create conditions in which residents could build livelihoods rather than remain dependent on public assistance.“This administration believes that true leadership is about creating opportunities, not dependency.“Every empowerment package distributed today represents hope renewed, dreams restored and renewed confidence in the ability of our people to succeed through hard work and determination,” he said.The scale of the state’s intervention was further outlined by the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Bolaji Dada, who said 18,990 residents had received business start-up equipment through MESI since the inception of the Sanwo-Olu administration.She said the figure formed part of a wider portfolio of interventions through which the ministry had sought to combine skills development with economic and social support.Dada said more than 35,101 residents had graduated from the ministry’s tuition-free skills acquisition centres, while more than 1,100 people had received digital skills training.Related NewsLagos rallies police to strengthen security at healthcare facilitiesSanwo-Olu declares May 16 Lagos Boy Child DayFG votes N2.5tn for Abuja-Lokoja, Enugu-PH, 122 roadsShe also said the ministry’s “Ounje Lo Re Awo” Food and Nutrition Programme had provided food support to more than 4,040 vulnerable families, while its Life Skills and Economic Empowerment Programme had reached 18,241 residents in grassroots and riverine communities.According to the commissioner, more than 5,500 widows had also received financial grants to support their businesses and livelihoods.The figures point to the government’s attempt to build an intervention chain in which vocational training is followed by access to productive assets, rather than treating graduation from a skills programme as the endpoint.Dada said, “While our tuition-free skills acquisition centres continue to equip thousands of residents with vocational and entrepreneurial skills, we recognise that training alone is not enough.“The real journey begins when beneficiaries are equipped with the tools required to establish sustainable businesses,” she said.She said MESI was created “to bridge that gap by providing start-up equipment that transforms learning into livelihoods.”The equipment distributed on Tuesday ranged from sewing and stoning machines, photography cameras and stands, deep freezers and popcorn machines to vulcanising equipment, manicure and pedicure kits, cake mixers, baking equipment and complete hairdressing and barbing sets.Beneficiaries in food and agricultural businesses received two-phase gas burners with large cooking pots, cassava graters, pressers and fryers, agricultural dehydrators and other processing equipment.Women involved in the raw food trade were also provided with food commodities including rice, beans, garri and semovita.Dada said the items should not be viewed simply as government giveaways but as productive assets expected to generate income and employment.“These are not merely empowerment items; they are instruments of transformation that will generate income, create jobs, strengthen families and contribute meaningfully to the continued economic growth of Lagos State,” she said.Dada said the ministry’s economic empowerment efforts also extended beyond business equipment. Its interventions include agricultural support at the ministry’s Avia Farm in Badagry, where trained farmers have been given demonstration plots for cassava cultivation, oil palm production, organic vegetable farming and snail rearing.She also pointed to the ministry’s support for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence through psychosocial counselling, temporary shelter, legal assistance, rehabilitation, vocational training and enterprise support.The ministry, she said, was also working with women-focused non-governmental organisations registered with it to expand community outreach, family support, skills development and economic empowerment.The commissioner said the interventions were intended to address poverty from several directions, including income generation, food security, skills development and social protection.“For the ministry, our commitment to empowerment also extends to agriculture,” Dada said, adding that the government was using practical training and access to farming resources to help beneficiaries improve food production while creating sustainable income.She urged the latest beneficiaries to regard Tuesday’s distribution as the beginning of their responsibility to turn public support into viable businesses.“Government has placed confidence in your potential by investing in your future.“I encourage you to make the best use of these tools, build thriving enterprises, create employment opportunities, support your families and become worthy ambassadors of the Lagos State Government,” she said.Sanwo-Olu said the government would continue to support small businesses and expand economic inclusion across the state, insisting that the objective was to ensure that the benefits of governance reached communities beyond Lagos’ major economic centres.“We will continue to invest in our people, expand opportunities for small businesses, strengthen economic inclusion and ensure that the benefits of good governance reach every ward, every community and every household across Lagos State,” he said. “Make the most of them. Grow your businesses, create employment, support your families and become ambassadors of enterprise within your communities,” Sanwo-Olu said.The programme also illustrates the administration’s attempt to extend economic interventions beyond Lagos’ commercial centres.Sanwo-Olu said MESI had been designed to reach residents “from the mainland to the island, from densely populated communities to rural settlements and riverine areas”, arguing that a person’s location should not determine access to economic opportunity.“Our objective is simple: no hardworking Lagosian should be denied an opportunity because of where they live or the circumstances into which they were born,” he said.The governor linked the initiative to the social inclusion and economic development components of the state’s THEMES+ agenda, saying government had a responsibility to create conditions in which residents could build livelihoods rather than remain dependent on public assistance.“This administration believes that true leadership is about creating opportunities, not dependency.“Every empowerment package distributed today represents hope renewed, dreams restored and renewed confidence in the ability of our people to succeed through hard work and determination,” he said.The scale of the state’s intervention was further outlined by the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Bolaji Dada, who said 18,990 residents had received business start-up equipment through MESI since the inception of the Sanwo-Olu administration.She said the figure formed part of a wider portfolio of interventions through which the ministry had sought to combine skills development with economic and social support.Dada said more than 35,101 residents had graduated from the ministry’s tuition-free skills acquisition centres, while more than 1,100 people had received digital skills training.Related NewsLagos rallies police to strengthen security at healthcare facilitiesSanwo-Olu declares May 16 Lagos Boy Child DayFG votes N2.5tn for Abuja-Lokoja, Enugu-PH, 122 roadsShe also said the ministry’s “Ounje Lo Re Awo” Food and Nutrition Programme had provided food support to more than 4,040 vulnerable families, while its Life Skills and Economic Empowerment Programme had reached 18,241 residents in grassroots and riverine communities.According to the commissioner, more than 5,500 widows had also received financial grants to support their businesses and livelihoods.The figures point to the government’s attempt to build an intervention chain in which vocational training is followed by access to productive assets, rather than treating graduation from a skills programme as the endpoint.Dada said, “While our tuition-free skills acquisition centres continue to equip thousands of residents with vocational and entrepreneurial skills, we recognise that training alone is not enough.“The real journey begins when beneficiaries are equipped with the tools required to establish sustainable businesses,” she said.She said MESI was created “to bridge that gap by providing start-up equipment that transforms learning into livelihoods.”The equipment distributed on Tuesday ranged from sewing and stoning machines, photography cameras and stands, deep freezers and popcorn machines to vulcanising equipment, manicure and pedicure kits, cake mixers, baking equipment and complete hairdressing and barbing sets.Beneficiaries in food and agricultural businesses received two-phase gas burners with large cooking pots, cassava graters, pressers and fryers, agricultural dehydrators and other processing equipment.Women involved in the raw food trade were also provided with food commodities including rice, beans, garri and semovita.Dada said the items should not be viewed simply as government giveaways but as productive assets expected to generate income and employment.“These are not merely empowerment items; they are instruments of transformation that will generate income, create jobs, strengthen families and contribute meaningfully to the continued economic growth of Lagos State,” she said.Dada said the ministry’s economic empowerment efforts also extended beyond business equipment. Its interventions include agricultural support at the ministry’s Avia Farm in Badagry, where trained farmers have been given demonstration plots for cassava cultivation, oil palm production, organic vegetable farming and snail rearing.She also pointed to the ministry’s support for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence through psychosocial counselling, temporary shelter, legal assistance, rehabilitation, vocational training and enterprise support.The ministry, she said, was also working with women-focused non-governmental organisations registered with it to expand community outreach, family support, skills development and economic empowerment.The commissioner said the interventions were intended to address poverty from several directions, including income generation, food security, skills development and social protection.“For the ministry, our commitment to empowerment also extends to agriculture,” Dada said, adding that the government was using practical training and access to farming resources to help beneficiaries improve food production while creating sustainable income.She urged the latest beneficiaries to regard Tuesday’s distribution as the beginning of their responsibility to turn public support into viable businesses.“Government has placed confidence in your potential by investing in your future.“I encourage you to make the best use of these tools, build thriving enterprises, create employment opportunities, support your families and become worthy ambassadors of the Lagos State Government,” she said.Sanwo-Olu said the government would continue to support small businesses and expand economic inclusion across the state, insisting that the objective was to ensure that the benefits of governance reached communities beyond Lagos’ major economic centres.“We will continue to invest in our people, expand opportunities for small businesses, strengthen economic inclusion and ensure that the benefits of good governance reach every ward, every community and every household across Lagos State,” he said. The programme also illustrates the administration’s attempt to extend economic interventions beyond Lagos’ commercial centres.Sanwo-Olu said MESI had been designed to reach residents “from the mainland to the island, from densely populated communities to rural settlements and riverine areas”, arguing that a person’s location should not determine access to economic opportunity.“Our objective is simple: no hardworking Lagosian should be denied an opportunity because of where they live or the circumstances into which they were born,” he said.The governor linked the initiative to the social inclusion and economic development components of the state’s THEMES+ agenda, saying government had a responsibility to create conditions in which residents could build livelihoods rather than remain dependent on public assistance.“This administration believes that true leadership is about creating opportunities, not dependency.“Every empowerment package distributed today represents hope renewed, dreams restored and renewed confidence in the ability of our people to succeed through hard work and determination,” he said.The scale of the state’s intervention was further outlined by the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Bolaji Dada, who said 18,990 residents had received business start-up equipment through MESI since the inception of the Sanwo-Olu administration.She said the figure formed part of a wider portfolio of interventions through which the ministry had sought to combine skills development with economic and social support.Dada said more than 35,101 residents had graduated from the ministry’s tuition-free skills acquisition centres, while more than 1,100 people had received digital skills training.Related NewsLagos rallies police to strengthen security at healthcare facilitiesSanwo-Olu declares May 16 Lagos Boy Child DayFG votes N2.5tn for Abuja-Lokoja, Enugu-PH, 122 roadsShe also said the ministry’s “Ounje Lo Re Awo” Food and Nutrition Programme had provided food support to more than 4,040 vulnerable families, while its Life Skills and Economic Empowerment Programme had reached 18,241 residents in grassroots and riverine communities.According to the commissioner, more than 5,500 widows had also received financial grants to support their businesses and livelihoods.The figures point to the government’s attempt to build an intervention chain in which vocational training is followed by access to productive assets, rather than treating graduation from a skills programme as the endpoint.Dada said, “While our tuition-free skills acquisition centres continue to equip thousands of residents with vocational and entrepreneurial skills, we recognise that training alone is not enough.“The real journey begins when beneficiaries are equipped with the tools required to establish sustainable businesses,” she said.She said MESI was created “to bridge that gap by providing start-up equipment that transforms learning into livelihoods.”The equipment distributed on Tuesday ranged from sewing and stoning machines, photography cameras and stands, deep freezers and popcorn machines to vulcanising equipment, manicure and pedicure kits, cake mixers, baking equipment and complete hairdressing and barbing sets.Beneficiaries in food and agricultural businesses received two-phase gas burners with large cooking pots, cassava graters, pressers and fryers, agricultural dehydrators and other processing equipment.Women involved in the raw food trade were also provided with food commodities including rice, beans, garri and semovita.Dada said the items should not be viewed simply as government giveaways but as productive assets expected to generate income and employment.“These are not merely empowerment items; they are instruments of transformation that will generate income, create jobs, strengthen families and contribute meaningfully to the continued economic growth of Lagos State,” she said.Dada said the ministry’s economic empowerment efforts also extended beyond business equipment. Its interventions include agricultural support at the ministry’s Avia Farm in Badagry, where trained farmers have been given demonstration plots for cassava cultivation, oil palm production, organic vegetable farming and snail rearing.She also pointed to the ministry’s support for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence through psychosocial counselling, temporary shelter, legal assistance, rehabilitation, vocational training and enterprise support.The ministry, she said, was also working with women-focused non-governmental organisations registered with it to expand community outreach, family support, skills development and economic empowerment.The commissioner said the interventions were intended to address poverty from several directions, including income generation, food security, skills development and social protection.“For the ministry, our commitment to empowerment also extends to agriculture,” Dada said, adding that the government was using practical training and access to farming resources to help beneficiaries improve food production while creating sustainable income.She urged the latest beneficiaries to regard Tuesday’s distribution as the beginning of their responsibility to turn public support into viable businesses.“Government has placed confidence in your potential by investing in your future.“I encourage you to make the best use of these tools, build thriving enterprises, create employment opportunities, support your families and become worthy ambassadors of the Lagos State Government,” she said.Sanwo-Olu said the government would continue to support small businesses and expand economic inclusion across the state, insisting that the objective was to ensure that the benefits of governance reached communities beyond Lagos’ major economic centres.“We will continue to invest in our people, expand opportunities for small businesses, strengthen economic inclusion and ensure that the benefits of good governance reach every ward, every community and every household across Lagos State,” he said. Sanwo-Olu said MESI had been designed to reach residents “from the mainland to the island, from densely populated communities to rural settlements and riverine areas”, arguing that a person’s location should not determine access to economic opportunity.“Our objective is simple: no hardworking Lagosian should be denied an opportunity because of where they live or the circumstances into which they were born,” he said.The governor linked the initiative to the social inclusion and economic development components of the state’s THEMES+ agenda, saying government had a responsibility to create conditions in which residents could build livelihoods rather than remain dependent on public assistance.“This administration believes that true leadership is about creating opportunities, not dependency.“Every empowerment package distributed today represents hope renewed, dreams restored and renewed confidence in the ability of our people to succeed through hard work and determination,” he said.The scale of the state’s intervention was further outlined by the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Bolaji Dada, who said 18,990 residents had received business start-up equipment through MESI since the inception of the Sanwo-Olu administration.She said the figure formed part of a wider portfolio of interventions through which the ministry had sought to combine skills development with economic and social support.Dada said more than 35,101 residents had graduated from the ministry’s tuition-free skills acquisition centres, while more than 1,100 people had received digital skills training.Related NewsLagos rallies police to strengthen security at healthcare facilitiesSanwo-Olu declares May 16 Lagos Boy Child DayFG votes N2.5tn for Abuja-Lokoja, Enugu-PH, 122 roadsShe also said the ministry’s “Ounje Lo Re Awo” Food and Nutrition Programme had provided food support to more than 4,040 vulnerable families, while its Life Skills and Economic Empowerment Programme had reached 18,241 residents in grassroots and riverine communities.According to the commissioner, more than 5,500 widows had also received financial grants to support their businesses and livelihoods.The figures point to the government’s attempt to build an intervention chain in which vocational training is followed by access to productive assets, rather than treating graduation from a skills programme as the endpoint.Dada said, “While our tuition-free skills acquisition centres continue to equip thousands of residents with vocational and entrepreneurial skills, we recognise that training alone is not enough.“The real journey begins when beneficiaries are equipped with the tools required to establish sustainable businesses,” she said.She said MESI was created “to bridge that gap by providing start-up equipment that transforms learning into livelihoods.”The equipment distributed on Tuesday ranged from sewing and stoning machines, photography cameras and stands, deep freezers and popcorn machines to vulcanising equipment, manicure and pedicure kits, cake mixers, baking equipment and complete hairdressing and barbing sets.Beneficiaries in food and agricultural businesses received two-phase gas burners with large cooking pots, cassava graters, pressers and fryers, agricultural dehydrators and other processing equipment.Women involved in the raw food trade were also provided with food commodities including rice, beans, garri and semovita.Dada said the items should not be viewed simply as government giveaways but as productive assets expected to generate income and employment.“These are not merely empowerment items; they are instruments of transformation that will generate income, create jobs, strengthen families and contribute meaningfully to the continued economic growth of Lagos State,” she said.Dada said the ministry’s economic empowerment efforts also extended beyond business equipment. Its interventions include agricultural support at the ministry’s Avia Farm in Badagry, where trained farmers have been given demonstration plots for cassava cultivation, oil palm production, organic vegetable farming and snail rearing.She also pointed to the ministry’s support for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence through psychosocial counselling, temporary shelter, legal assistance, rehabilitation, vocational training and enterprise support.The ministry, she said, was also working with women-focused non-governmental organisations registered with it to expand community outreach, family support, skills development and economic empowerment.The commissioner said the interventions were intended to address poverty from several directions, including income generation, food security, skills development and social protection.“For the ministry, our commitment to empowerment also extends to agriculture,” Dada said, adding that the government was using practical training and access to farming resources to help beneficiaries improve food production while creating sustainable income.She urged the latest beneficiaries to regard Tuesday’s distribution as the beginning of their responsibility to turn public support into viable businesses.“Government has placed confidence in your potential by investing in your future.“I encourage you to make the best use of these tools, build thriving enterprises, create employment opportunities, support your families and become worthy ambassadors of the Lagos State Government,” she said.Sanwo-Olu said the government would continue to support small businesses and expand economic inclusion across the state, insisting that the objective was to ensure that the benefits of governance reached communities beyond Lagos’ major economic centres.“We will continue to invest in our people, expand opportunities for small businesses, strengthen economic inclusion and ensure that the benefits of good governance reach every ward, every community and every household across Lagos State,” he said. “Our objective is simple: no hardworking Lagosian should be denied an opportunity because of where they live or the circumstances into which they were born,” he said.The governor linked the initiative to the social inclusion and economic development components of the state’s THEMES+ agenda, saying government had a responsibility to create conditions in which residents could build livelihoods rather than remain dependent on public assistance.“This administration believes that true leadership is about creating opportunities, not dependency.“Every empowerment package distributed today represents hope renewed, dreams restored and renewed confidence in the ability of our people to succeed through hard work and determination,” he said.The scale of the state’s intervention was further outlined by the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Bolaji Dada, who said 18,990 residents had received business start-up equipment through MESI since the inception of the Sanwo-Olu administration.She said the figure formed part of a wider portfolio of interventions through which the ministry had sought to combine skills development with economic and social support.Dada said more than 35,101 residents had graduated from the ministry’s tuition-free skills acquisition centres, while more than 1,100 people had received digital skills training.Related NewsLagos rallies police to strengthen security at healthcare facilitiesSanwo-Olu declares May 16 Lagos Boy Child DayFG votes N2.5tn for Abuja-Lokoja, Enugu-PH, 122 roadsShe also said the ministry’s “Ounje Lo Re Awo” Food and Nutrition Programme had provided food support to more than 4,040 vulnerable families, while its Life Skills and Economic Empowerment Programme had reached 18,241 residents in grassroots and riverine communities.According to the commissioner, more than 5,500 widows had also received financial grants to support their businesses and livelihoods.The figures point to the government’s attempt to build an intervention chain in which vocational training is followed by access to productive assets, rather than treating graduation from a skills programme as the endpoint.Dada said, “While our tuition-free skills acquisition centres continue to equip thousands of residents with vocational and entrepreneurial skills, we recognise that training alone is not enough.“The real journey begins when beneficiaries are equipped with the tools required to establish sustainable businesses,” she said.She said MESI was created “to bridge that gap by providing start-up equipment that transforms learning into livelihoods.”The equipment distributed on Tuesday ranged from sewing and stoning machines, photography cameras and stands, deep freezers and popcorn machines to vulcanising equipment, manicure and pedicure kits, cake mixers, baking equipment and complete hairdressing and barbing sets.Beneficiaries in food and agricultural businesses received two-phase gas burners with large cooking pots, cassava graters, pressers and fryers, agricultural dehydrators and other processing equipment.Women involved in the raw food trade were also provided with food commodities including rice, beans, garri and semovita.Dada said the items should not be viewed simply as government giveaways but as productive assets expected to generate income and employment.“These are not merely empowerment items; they are instruments of transformation that will generate income, create jobs, strengthen families and contribute meaningfully to the continued economic growth of Lagos State,” she said.Dada said the ministry’s economic empowerment efforts also extended beyond business equipment. Its interventions include agricultural support at the ministry’s Avia Farm in Badagry, where trained farmers have been given demonstration plots for cassava cultivation, oil palm production, organic vegetable farming and snail rearing.She also pointed to the ministry’s support for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence through psychosocial counselling, temporary shelter, legal assistance, rehabilitation, vocational training and enterprise support.The ministry, she said, was also working with women-focused non-governmental organisations registered with it to expand community outreach, family support, skills development and economic empowerment.The commissioner said the interventions were intended to address poverty from several directions, including income generation, food security, skills development and social protection.“For the ministry, our commitment to empowerment also extends to agriculture,” Dada said, adding that the government was using practical training and access to farming resources to help beneficiaries improve food production while creating sustainable income.She urged the latest beneficiaries to regard Tuesday’s distribution as the beginning of their responsibility to turn public support into viable businesses.“Government has placed confidence in your potential by investing in your future.“I encourage you to make the best use of these tools, build thriving enterprises, create employment opportunities, support your families and become worthy ambassadors of the Lagos State Government,” she said.Sanwo-Olu said the government would continue to support small businesses and expand economic inclusion across the state, insisting that the objective was to ensure that the benefits of governance reached communities beyond Lagos’ major economic centres.“We will continue to invest in our people, expand opportunities for small businesses, strengthen economic inclusion and ensure that the benefits of good governance reach every ward, every community and every household across Lagos State,” he said. The governor linked the initiative to the social inclusion and economic development components of the state’s THEMES+ agenda, saying government had a responsibility to create conditions in which residents could build livelihoods rather than remain dependent on public assistance.“This administration believes that true leadership is about creating opportunities, not dependency.“Every empowerment package distributed today represents hope renewed, dreams restored and renewed confidence in the ability of our people to succeed through hard work and determination,” he said.The scale of the state’s intervention was further outlined by the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Bolaji Dada, who said 18,990 residents had received business start-up equipment through MESI since the inception of the Sanwo-Olu administration.She said the figure formed part of a wider portfolio of interventions through which the ministry had sought to combine skills development with economic and social support.Dada said more than 35,101 residents had graduated from the ministry’s tuition-free skills acquisition centres, while more than 1,100 people had received digital skills training.Related NewsLagos rallies police to strengthen security at healthcare facilitiesSanwo-Olu declares May 16 Lagos Boy Child DayFG votes N2.5tn for Abuja-Lokoja, Enugu-PH, 122 roadsShe also said the ministry’s “Ounje Lo Re Awo” Food and Nutrition Programme had provided food support to more than 4,040 vulnerable families, while its Life Skills and Economic Empowerment Programme had reached 18,241 residents in grassroots and riverine communities.According to the commissioner, more than 5,500 widows had also received financial grants to support their businesses and livelihoods.The figures point to the government’s attempt to build an intervention chain in which vocational training is followed by access to productive assets, rather than treating graduation from a skills programme as the endpoint.Dada said, “While our tuition-free skills acquisition centres continue to equip thousands of residents with vocational and entrepreneurial skills, we recognise that training alone is not enough.“The real journey begins when beneficiaries are equipped with the tools required to establish sustainable businesses,” she said.She said MESI was created “to bridge that gap by providing start-up equipment that transforms learning into livelihoods.”The equipment distributed on Tuesday ranged from sewing and stoning machines, photography cameras and stands, deep freezers and popcorn machines to vulcanising equipment, manicure and pedicure kits, cake mixers, baking equipment and complete hairdressing and barbing sets.Beneficiaries in food and agricultural businesses received two-phase gas burners with large cooking pots, cassava graters, pressers and fryers, agricultural dehydrators and other processing equipment.Women involved in the raw food trade were also provided with food commodities including rice, beans, garri and semovita.Dada said the items should not be viewed simply as government giveaways but as productive assets expected to generate income and employment.“These are not merely empowerment items; they are instruments of transformation that will generate income, create jobs, strengthen families and contribute meaningfully to the continued economic growth of Lagos State,” she said.Dada said the ministry’s economic empowerment efforts also extended beyond business equipment. Its interventions include agricultural support at the ministry’s Avia Farm in Badagry, where trained farmers have been given demonstration plots for cassava cultivation, oil palm production, organic vegetable farming and snail rearing.She also pointed to the ministry’s support for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence through psychosocial counselling, temporary shelter, legal assistance, rehabilitation, vocational training and enterprise support.The ministry, she said, was also working with women-focused non-governmental organisations registered with it to expand community outreach, family support, skills development and economic empowerment.The commissioner said the interventions were intended to address poverty from several directions, including income generation, food security, skills development and social protection.“For the ministry, our commitment to empowerment also extends to agriculture,” Dada said, adding that the government was using practical training and access to farming resources to help beneficiaries improve food production while creating sustainable income.She urged the latest beneficiaries to regard Tuesday’s distribution as the beginning of their responsibility to turn public support into viable businesses.“Government has placed confidence in your potential by investing in your future.“I encourage you to make the best use of these tools, build thriving enterprises, create employment opportunities, support your families and become worthy ambassadors of the Lagos State Government,” she said.Sanwo-Olu said the government would continue to support small businesses and expand economic inclusion across the state, insisting that the objective was to ensure that the benefits of governance reached communities beyond Lagos’ major economic centres.“We will continue to invest in our people, expand opportunities for small businesses, strengthen economic inclusion and ensure that the benefits of good governance reach every ward, every community and every household across Lagos State,” he said. “This administration believes that true leadership is about creating opportunities, not dependency.“Every empowerment package distributed today represents hope renewed, dreams restored and renewed confidence in the ability of our people to succeed through hard work and determination,” he said.The scale of the state’s intervention was further outlined by the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Bolaji Dada, who said 18,990 residents had received business start-up equipment through MESI since the inception of the Sanwo-Olu administration.She said the figure formed part of a wider portfolio of interventions through which the ministry had sought to combine skills development with economic and social support.Dada said more than 35,101 residents had graduated from the ministry’s tuition-free skills acquisition centres, while more than 1,100 people had received digital skills training.Related NewsLagos rallies police to strengthen security at healthcare facilitiesSanwo-Olu declares May 16 Lagos Boy Child DayFG votes N2.5tn for Abuja-Lokoja, Enugu-PH, 122 roadsShe also said the ministry’s “Ounje Lo Re Awo” Food and Nutrition Programme had provided food support to more than 4,040 vulnerable families, while its Life Skills and Economic Empowerment Programme had reached 18,241 residents in grassroots and riverine communities.According to the commissioner, more than 5,500 widows had also received financial grants to support their businesses and livelihoods.The figures point to the government’s attempt to build an intervention chain in which vocational training is followed by access to productive assets, rather than treating graduation from a skills programme as the endpoint.Dada said, “While our tuition-free skills acquisition centres continue to equip thousands of residents with vocational and entrepreneurial skills, we recognise that training alone is not enough.“The real journey begins when beneficiaries are equipped with the tools required to establish sustainable businesses,” she said.She said MESI was created “to bridge that gap by providing start-up equipment that transforms learning into livelihoods.”The equipment distributed on Tuesday ranged from sewing and stoning machines, photography cameras and stands, deep freezers and popcorn machines to vulcanising equipment, manicure and pedicure kits, cake mixers, baking equipment and complete hairdressing and barbing sets.Beneficiaries in food and agricultural businesses received two-phase gas burners with large cooking pots, cassava graters, pressers and fryers, agricultural dehydrators and other processing equipment.Women involved in the raw food trade were also provided with food commodities including rice, beans, garri and semovita.Dada said the items should not be viewed simply as government giveaways but as productive assets expected to generate income and employment.“These are not merely empowerment items; they are instruments of transformation that will generate income, create jobs, strengthen families and contribute meaningfully to the continued economic growth of Lagos State,” she said.Dada said the ministry’s economic empowerment efforts also extended beyond business equipment. Its interventions include agricultural support at the ministry’s Avia Farm in Badagry, where trained farmers have been given demonstration plots for cassava cultivation, oil palm production, organic vegetable farming and snail rearing.She also pointed to the ministry’s support for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence through psychosocial counselling, temporary shelter, legal assistance, rehabilitation, vocational training and enterprise support.The ministry, she said, was also working with women-focused non-governmental organisations registered with it to expand community outreach, family support, skills development and economic empowerment.The commissioner said the interventions were intended to address poverty from several directions, including income generation, food security, skills development and social protection.“For the ministry, our commitment to empowerment also extends to agriculture,” Dada said, adding that the government was using practical training and access to farming resources to help beneficiaries improve food production while creating sustainable income.She urged the latest beneficiaries to regard Tuesday’s distribution as the beginning of their responsibility to turn public support into viable businesses.“Government has placed confidence in your potential by investing in your future.“I encourage you to make the best use of these tools, build thriving enterprises, create employment opportunities, support your families and become worthy ambassadors of the Lagos State Government,” she said.Sanwo-Olu said the government would continue to support small businesses and expand economic inclusion across the state, insisting that the objective was to ensure that the benefits of governance reached communities beyond Lagos’ major economic centres.“We will continue to invest in our people, expand opportunities for small businesses, strengthen economic inclusion and ensure that the benefits of good governance reach every ward, every community and every household across Lagos State,” he said. “Every empowerment package distributed today represents hope renewed, dreams restored and renewed confidence in the ability of our people to succeed through hard work and determination,” he said.The scale of the state’s intervention was further outlined by the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Bolaji Dada, who said 18,990 residents had received business start-up equipment through MESI since the inception of the Sanwo-Olu administration.She said the figure formed part of a wider portfolio of interventions through which the ministry had sought to combine skills development with economic and social support.Dada said more than 35,101 residents had graduated from the ministry’s tuition-free skills acquisition centres, while more than 1,100 people had received digital skills training.Related NewsLagos rallies police to strengthen security at healthcare facilitiesSanwo-Olu declares May 16 Lagos Boy Child DayFG votes N2.5tn for Abuja-Lokoja, Enugu-PH, 122 roadsShe also said the ministry’s “Ounje Lo Re Awo” Food and Nutrition Programme had provided food support to more than 4,040 vulnerable families, while its Life Skills and Economic Empowerment Programme had reached 18,241 residents in grassroots and riverine communities.According to the commissioner, more than 5,500 widows had also received financial grants to support their businesses and livelihoods.The figures point to the government’s attempt to build an intervention chain in which vocational training is followed by access to productive assets, rather than treating graduation from a skills programme as the endpoint.Dada said, “While our tuition-free skills acquisition centres continue to equip thousands of residents with vocational and entrepreneurial skills, we recognise that training alone is not enough.“The real journey begins when beneficiaries are equipped with the tools required to establish sustainable businesses,” she said.She said MESI was created “to bridge that gap by providing start-up equipment that transforms learning into livelihoods.”The equipment distributed on Tuesday ranged from sewing and stoning machines, photography cameras and stands, deep freezers and popcorn machines to vulcanising equipment, manicure and pedicure kits, cake mixers, baking equipment and complete hairdressing and barbing sets.Beneficiaries in food and agricultural businesses received two-phase gas burners with large cooking pots, cassava graters, pressers and fryers, agricultural dehydrators and other processing equipment.Women involved in the raw food trade were also provided with food commodities including rice, beans, garri and semovita.Dada said the items should not be viewed simply as government giveaways but as productive assets expected to generate income and employment.“These are not merely empowerment items; they are instruments of transformation that will generate income, create jobs, strengthen families and contribute meaningfully to the continued economic growth of Lagos State,” she said.Dada said the ministry’s economic empowerment efforts also extended beyond business equipment. Its interventions include agricultural support at the ministry’s Avia Farm in Badagry, where trained farmers have been given demonstration plots for cassava cultivation, oil palm production, organic vegetable farming and snail rearing.She also pointed to the ministry’s support for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence through psychosocial counselling, temporary shelter, legal assistance, rehabilitation, vocational training and enterprise support.The ministry, she said, was also working with women-focused non-governmental organisations registered with it to expand community outreach, family support, skills development and economic empowerment.The commissioner said the interventions were intended to address poverty from several directions, including income generation, food security, skills development and social protection.“For the ministry, our commitment to empowerment also extends to agriculture,” Dada said, adding that the government was using practical training and access to farming resources to help beneficiaries improve food production while creating sustainable income.She urged the latest beneficiaries to regard Tuesday’s distribution as the beginning of their responsibility to turn public support into viable businesses.“Government has placed confidence in your potential by investing in your future.“I encourage you to make the best use of these tools, build thriving enterprises, create employment opportunities, support your families and become worthy ambassadors of the Lagos State Government,” she said.Sanwo-Olu said the government would continue to support small businesses and expand economic inclusion across the state, insisting that the objective was to ensure that the benefits of governance reached communities beyond Lagos’ major economic centres.“We will continue to invest in our people, expand opportunities for small businesses, strengthen economic inclusion and ensure that the benefits of good governance reach every ward, every community and every household across Lagos State,” he said. The scale of the state’s intervention was further outlined by the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Bolaji Dada, who said 18,990 residents had received business start-up equipment through MESI since the inception of the Sanwo-Olu administration.She said the figure formed part of a wider portfolio of interventions through which the ministry had sought to combine skills development with economic and social support.Dada said more than 35,101 residents had graduated from the ministry’s tuition-free skills acquisition centres, while more than 1,100 people had received digital skills training.Related NewsLagos rallies police to strengthen security at healthcare facilitiesSanwo-Olu declares May 16 Lagos Boy Child DayFG votes N2.5tn for Abuja-Lokoja, Enugu-PH, 122 roadsShe also said the ministry’s “Ounje Lo Re Awo” Food and Nutrition Programme had provided food support to more than 4,040 vulnerable families, while its Life Skills and Economic Empowerment Programme had reached 18,241 residents in grassroots and riverine communities.According to the commissioner, more than 5,500 widows had also received financial grants to support their businesses and livelihoods.The figures point to the government’s attempt to build an intervention chain in which vocational training is followed by access to productive assets, rather than treating graduation from a skills programme as the endpoint.Dada said, “While our tuition-free skills acquisition centres continue to equip thousands of residents with vocational and entrepreneurial skills, we recognise that training alone is not enough.“The real journey begins when beneficiaries are equipped with the tools required to establish sustainable businesses,” she said.She said MESI was created “to bridge that gap by providing start-up equipment that transforms learning into livelihoods.”The equipment distributed on Tuesday ranged from sewing and stoning machines, photography cameras and stands, deep freezers and popcorn machines to vulcanising equipment, manicure and pedicure kits, cake mixers, baking equipment and complete hairdressing and barbing sets.Beneficiaries in food and agricultural businesses received two-phase gas burners with large cooking pots, cassava graters, pressers and fryers, agricultural dehydrators and other processing equipment.Women involved in the raw food trade were also provided with food commodities including rice, beans, garri and semovita.Dada said the items should not be viewed simply as government giveaways but as productive assets expected to generate income and employment.“These are not merely empowerment items; they are instruments of transformation that will generate income, create jobs, strengthen families and contribute meaningfully to the continued economic growth of Lagos State,” she said.Dada said the ministry’s economic empowerment efforts also extended beyond business equipment. Its interventions include agricultural support at the ministry’s Avia Farm in Badagry, where trained farmers have been given demonstration plots for cassava cultivation, oil palm production, organic vegetable farming and snail rearing.She also pointed to the ministry’s support for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence through psychosocial counselling, temporary shelter, legal assistance, rehabilitation, vocational training and enterprise support.The ministry, she said, was also working with women-focused non-governmental organisations registered with it to expand community outreach, family support, skills development and economic empowerment.The commissioner said the interventions were intended to address poverty from several directions, including income generation, food security, skills development and social protection.“For the ministry, our commitment to empowerment also extends to agriculture,” Dada said, adding that the government was using practical training and access to farming resources to help beneficiaries improve food production while creating sustainable income.She urged the latest beneficiaries to regard Tuesday’s distribution as the beginning of their responsibility to turn public support into viable businesses.“Government has placed confidence in your potential by investing in your future.“I encourage you to make the best use of these tools, build thriving enterprises, create employment opportunities, support your families and become worthy ambassadors of the Lagos State Government,” she said.Sanwo-Olu said the government would continue to support small businesses and expand economic inclusion across the state, insisting that the objective was to ensure that the benefits of governance reached communities beyond Lagos’ major economic centres.“We will continue to invest in our people, expand opportunities for small businesses, strengthen economic inclusion and ensure that the benefits of good governance reach every ward, every community and every household across Lagos State,” he said. She said the figure formed part of a wider portfolio of interventions through which the ministry had sought to combine skills development with economic and social support.Dada said more than 35,101 residents had graduated from the ministry’s tuition-free skills acquisition centres, while more than 1,100 people had received digital skills training.Related NewsLagos rallies police to strengthen security at healthcare facilitiesSanwo-Olu declares May 16 Lagos Boy Child DayFG votes N2.5tn for Abuja-Lokoja, Enugu-PH, 122 roadsShe also said the ministry’s “Ounje Lo Re Awo” Food and Nutrition Programme had provided food support to more than 4,040 vulnerable families, while its Life Skills and Economic Empowerment Programme had reached 18,241 residents in grassroots and riverine communities.According to the commissioner, more than 5,500 widows had also received financial grants to support their businesses and livelihoods.The figures point to the government’s attempt to build an intervention chain in which vocational training is followed by access to productive assets, rather than treating graduation from a skills programme as the endpoint.Dada said, “While our tuition-free skills acquisition centres continue to equip thousands of residents with vocational and entrepreneurial skills, we recognise that training alone is not enough.“The real journey begins when beneficiaries are equipped with the tools required to establish sustainable businesses,” she said.She said MESI was created “to bridge that gap by providing start-up equipment that transforms learning into livelihoods.”The equipment distributed on Tuesday ranged from sewing and stoning machines, photography cameras and stands, deep freezers and popcorn machines to vulcanising equipment, manicure and pedicure kits, cake mixers, baking equipment and complete hairdressing and barbing sets.Beneficiaries in food and agricultural businesses received two-phase gas burners with large cooking pots, cassava graters, pressers and fryers, agricultural dehydrators and other processing equipment.Women involved in the raw food trade were also provided with food commodities including rice, beans, garri and semovita.Dada said the items should not be viewed simply as government giveaways but as productive assets expected to generate income and employment.“These are not merely empowerment items; they are instruments of transformation that will generate income, create jobs, strengthen families and contribute meaningfully to the continued economic growth of Lagos State,” she said.Dada said the ministry’s economic empowerment efforts also extended beyond business equipment. Its interventions include agricultural support at the ministry’s Avia Farm in Badagry, where trained farmers have been given demonstration plots for cassava cultivation, oil palm production, organic vegetable farming and snail rearing.She also pointed to the ministry’s support for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence through psychosocial counselling, temporary shelter, legal assistance, rehabilitation, vocational training and enterprise support.The ministry, she said, was also working with women-focused non-governmental organisations registered with it to expand community outreach, family support, skills development and economic empowerment.The commissioner said the interventions were intended to address poverty from several directions, including income generation, food security, skills development and social protection.“For the ministry, our commitment to empowerment also extends to agriculture,” Dada said, adding that the government was using practical training and access to farming resources to help beneficiaries improve food production while creating sustainable income.She urged the latest beneficiaries to regard Tuesday’s distribution as the beginning of their responsibility to turn public support into viable businesses.“Government has placed confidence in your potential by investing in your future.“I encourage you to make the best use of these tools, build thriving enterprises, create employment opportunities, support your families and become worthy ambassadors of the Lagos State Government,” she said.Sanwo-Olu said the government would continue to support small businesses and expand economic inclusion across the state, insisting that the objective was to ensure that the benefits of governance reached communities beyond Lagos’ major economic centres.“We will continue to invest in our people, expand opportunities for small businesses, strengthen economic inclusion and ensure that the benefits of good governance reach every ward, every community and every household across Lagos State,” he said. Dada said more than 35,101 residents had graduated from the ministry’s tuition-free skills acquisition centres, while more than 1,100 people had received digital skills training.Related NewsLagos rallies police to strengthen security at healthcare facilitiesSanwo-Olu declares May 16 Lagos Boy Child DayFG votes N2.5tn for Abuja-Lokoja, Enugu-PH, 122 roadsShe also said the ministry’s “Ounje Lo Re Awo” Food and Nutrition Programme had provided food support to more than 4,040 vulnerable families, while its Life Skills and Economic Empowerment Programme had reached 18,241 residents in grassroots and riverine communities.According to the commissioner, more than 5,500 widows had also received financial grants to support their businesses and livelihoods.The figures point to the government’s attempt to build an intervention chain in which vocational training is followed by access to productive assets, rather than treating graduation from a skills programme as the endpoint.Dada said, “While our tuition-free skills acquisition centres continue to equip thousands of residents with vocational and entrepreneurial skills, we recognise that training alone is not enough.“The real journey begins when beneficiaries are equipped with the tools required to establish sustainable businesses,” she said.She said MESI was created “to bridge that gap by providing start-up equipment that transforms learning into livelihoods.”The equipment distributed on Tuesday ranged from sewing and stoning machines, photography cameras and stands, deep freezers and popcorn machines to vulcanising equipment, manicure and pedicure kits, cake mixers, baking equipment and complete hairdressing and barbing sets.Beneficiaries in food and agricultural businesses received two-phase gas burners with large cooking pots, cassava graters, pressers and fryers, agricultural dehydrators and other processing equipment.Women involved in the raw food trade were also provided with food commodities including rice, beans, garri and semovita.Dada said the items should not be viewed simply as government giveaways but as productive assets expected to generate income and employment.“These are not merely empowerment items; they are instruments of transformation that will generate income, create jobs, strengthen families and contribute meaningfully to the continued economic growth of Lagos State,” she said.Dada said the ministry’s economic empowerment efforts also extended beyond business equipment. Its interventions include agricultural support at the ministry’s Avia Farm in Badagry, where trained farmers have been given demonstration plots for cassava cultivation, oil palm production, organic vegetable farming and snail rearing.She also pointed to the ministry’s support for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence through psychosocial counselling, temporary shelter, legal assistance, rehabilitation, vocational training and enterprise support.The ministry, she said, was also working with women-focused non-governmental organisations registered with it to expand community outreach, family support, skills development and economic empowerment.The commissioner said the interventions were intended to address poverty from several directions, including income generation, food security, skills development and social protection.“For the ministry, our commitment to empowerment also extends to agriculture,” Dada said, adding that the government was using practical training and access to farming resources to help beneficiaries improve food production while creating sustainable income.She urged the latest beneficiaries to regard Tuesday’s distribution as the beginning of their responsibility to turn public support into viable businesses.“Government has placed confidence in your potential by investing in your future.“I encourage you to make the best use of these tools, build thriving enterprises, create employment opportunities, support your families and become worthy ambassadors of the Lagos State Government,” she said.Sanwo-Olu said the government would continue to support small businesses and expand economic inclusion across the state, insisting that the objective was to ensure that the benefits of governance reached communities beyond Lagos’ major economic centres.“We will continue to invest in our people, expand opportunities for small businesses, strengthen economic inclusion and ensure that the benefits of good governance reach every ward, every community and every household across Lagos State,” he said. She also said the ministry’s “Ounje Lo Re Awo” Food and Nutrition Programme had provided food support to more than 4,040 vulnerable families, while its Life Skills and Economic Empowerment Programme had reached 18,241 residents in grassroots and riverine communities.According to the commissioner, more than 5,500 widows had also received financial grants to support their businesses and livelihoods.The figures point to the government’s attempt to build an intervention chain in which vocational training is followed by access to productive assets, rather than treating graduation from a skills programme as the endpoint.Dada said, “While our tuition-free skills acquisition centres continue to equip thousands of residents with vocational and entrepreneurial skills, we recognise that training alone is not enough.“The real journey begins when beneficiaries are equipped with the tools required to establish sustainable businesses,” she said.She said MESI was created “to bridge that gap by providing start-up equipment that transforms learning into livelihoods.”The equipment distributed on Tuesday ranged from sewing and stoning machines, photography cameras and stands, deep freezers and popcorn machines to vulcanising equipment, manicure and pedicure kits, cake mixers, baking equipment and complete hairdressing and barbing sets.Beneficiaries in food and agricultural businesses received two-phase gas burners with large cooking pots, cassava graters, pressers and fryers, agricultural dehydrators and other processing equipment.Women involved in the raw food trade were also provided with food commodities including rice, beans, garri and semovita.Dada said the items should not be viewed simply as government giveaways but as productive assets expected to generate income and employment.“These are not merely empowerment items; they are instruments of transformation that will generate income, create jobs, strengthen families and contribute meaningfully to the continued economic growth of Lagos State,” she said.Dada said the ministry’s economic empowerment efforts also extended beyond business equipment. Its interventions include agricultural support at the ministry’s Avia Farm in Badagry, where trained farmers have been given demonstration plots for cassava cultivation, oil palm production, organic vegetable farming and snail rearing.She also pointed to the ministry’s support for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence through psychosocial counselling, temporary shelter, legal assistance, rehabilitation, vocational training and enterprise support.The ministry, she said, was also working with women-focused non-governmental organisations registered with it to expand community outreach, family support, skills development and economic empowerment.The commissioner said the interventions were intended to address poverty from several directions, including income generation, food security, skills development and social protection.“For the ministry, our commitment to empowerment also extends to agriculture,” Dada said, adding that the government was using practical training and access to farming resources to help beneficiaries improve food production while creating sustainable income.She urged the latest beneficiaries to regard Tuesday’s distribution as the beginning of their responsibility to turn public support into viable businesses.“Government has placed confidence in your potential by investing in your future.“I encourage you to make the best use of these tools, build thriving enterprises, create employment opportunities, support your families and become worthy ambassadors of the Lagos State Government,” she said.Sanwo-Olu said the government would continue to support small businesses and expand economic inclusion across the state, insisting that the objective was to ensure that the benefits of governance reached communities beyond Lagos’ major economic centres.“We will continue to invest in our people, expand opportunities for small businesses, strengthen economic inclusion and ensure that the benefits of good governance reach every ward, every community and every household across Lagos State,” he said. According to the commissioner, more than 5,500 widows had also received financial grants to support their businesses and livelihoods.The figures point to the government’s attempt to build an intervention chain in which vocational training is followed by access to productive assets, rather than treating graduation from a skills programme as the endpoint.Dada said, “While our tuition-free skills acquisition centres continue to equip thousands of residents with vocational and entrepreneurial skills, we recognise that training alone is not enough.“The real journey begins when beneficiaries are equipped with the tools required to establish sustainable businesses,” she said.She said MESI was created “to bridge that gap by providing start-up equipment that transforms learning into livelihoods.”The equipment distributed on Tuesday ranged from sewing and stoning machines, photography cameras and stands, deep freezers and popcorn machines to vulcanising equipment, manicure and pedicure kits, cake mixers, baking equipment and complete hairdressing and barbing sets.Beneficiaries in food and agricultural businesses received two-phase gas burners with large cooking pots, cassava graters, pressers and fryers, agricultural dehydrators and other processing equipment.Women involved in the raw food trade were also provided with food commodities including rice, beans, garri and semovita.Dada said the items should not be viewed simply as government giveaways but as productive assets expected to generate income and employment.“These are not merely empowerment items; they are instruments of transformation that will generate income, create jobs, strengthen families and contribute meaningfully to the continued economic growth of Lagos State,” she said.Dada said the ministry’s economic empowerment efforts also extended beyond business equipment. Its interventions include agricultural support at the ministry’s Avia Farm in Badagry, where trained farmers have been given demonstration plots for cassava cultivation, oil palm production, organic vegetable farming and snail rearing.She also pointed to the ministry’s support for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence through psychosocial counselling, temporary shelter, legal assistance, rehabilitation, vocational training and enterprise support.The ministry, she said, was also working with women-focused non-governmental organisations registered with it to expand community outreach, family support, skills development and economic empowerment.The commissioner said the interventions were intended to address poverty from several directions, including income generation, food security, skills development and social protection.“For the ministry, our commitment to empowerment also extends to agriculture,” Dada said, adding that the government was using practical training and access to farming resources to help beneficiaries improve food production while creating sustainable income.She urged the latest beneficiaries to regard Tuesday’s distribution as the beginning of their responsibility to turn public support into viable businesses.“Government has placed confidence in your potential by investing in your future.“I encourage you to make the best use of these tools, build thriving enterprises, create employment opportunities, support your families and become worthy ambassadors of the Lagos State Government,” she said.Sanwo-Olu said the government would continue to support small businesses and expand economic inclusion across the state, insisting that the objective was to ensure that the benefits of governance reached communities beyond Lagos’ major economic centres.“We will continue to invest in our people, expand opportunities for small businesses, strengthen economic inclusion and ensure that the benefits of good governance reach every ward, every community and every household across Lagos State,” he said. The figures point to the government’s attempt to build an intervention chain in which vocational training is followed by access to productive assets, rather than treating graduation from a skills programme as the endpoint.Dada said, “While our tuition-free skills acquisition centres continue to equip thousands of residents with vocational and entrepreneurial skills, we recognise that training alone is not enough.“The real journey begins when beneficiaries are equipped with the tools required to establish sustainable businesses,” she said.She said MESI was created “to bridge that gap by providing start-up equipment that transforms learning into livelihoods.”The equipment distributed on Tuesday ranged from sewing and stoning machines, photography cameras and stands, deep freezers and popcorn machines to vulcanising equipment, manicure and pedicure kits, cake mixers, baking equipment and complete hairdressing and barbing sets.Beneficiaries in food and agricultural businesses received two-phase gas burners with large cooking pots, cassava graters, pressers and fryers, agricultural dehydrators and other processing equipment.Women involved in the raw food trade were also provided with food commodities including rice, beans, garri and semovita.Dada said the items should not be viewed simply as government giveaways but as productive assets expected to generate income and employment.“These are not merely empowerment items; they are instruments of transformation that will generate income, create jobs, strengthen families and contribute meaningfully to the continued economic growth of Lagos State,” she said.Dada said the ministry’s economic empowerment efforts also extended beyond business equipment. Its interventions include agricultural support at the ministry’s Avia Farm in Badagry, where trained farmers have been given demonstration plots for cassava cultivation, oil palm production, organic vegetable farming and snail rearing.She also pointed to the ministry’s support for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence through psychosocial counselling, temporary shelter, legal assistance, rehabilitation, vocational training and enterprise support.The ministry, she said, was also working with women-focused non-governmental organisations registered with it to expand community outreach, family support, skills development and economic empowerment.The commissioner said the interventions were intended to address poverty from several directions, including income generation, food security, skills development and social protection.“For the ministry, our commitment to empowerment also extends to agriculture,” Dada said, adding that the government was using practical training and access to farming resources to help beneficiaries improve food production while creating sustainable income.She urged the latest beneficiaries to regard Tuesday’s distribution as the beginning of their responsibility to turn public support into viable businesses.“Government has placed confidence in your potential by investing in your future.“I encourage you to make the best use of these tools, build thriving enterprises, create employment opportunities, support your families and become worthy ambassadors of the Lagos State Government,” she said.Sanwo-Olu said the government would continue to support small businesses and expand economic inclusion across the state, insisting that the objective was to ensure that the benefits of governance reached communities beyond Lagos’ major economic centres.“We will continue to invest in our people, expand opportunities for small businesses, strengthen economic inclusion and ensure that the benefits of good governance reach every ward, every community and every household across Lagos State,” he said. Dada said, “While our tuition-free skills acquisition centres continue to equip thousands of residents with vocational and entrepreneurial skills, we recognise that training alone is not enough.“The real journey begins when beneficiaries are equipped with the tools required to establish sustainable businesses,” she said.She said MESI was created “to bridge that gap by providing start-up equipment that transforms learning into livelihoods.”The equipment distributed on Tuesday ranged from sewing and stoning machines, photography cameras and stands, deep freezers and popcorn machines to vulcanising equipment, manicure and pedicure kits, cake mixers, baking equipment and complete hairdressing and barbing sets.Beneficiaries in food and agricultural businesses received two-phase gas burners with large cooking pots, cassava graters, pressers and fryers, agricultural dehydrators and other processing equipment.Women involved in the raw food trade were also provided with food commodities including rice, beans, garri and semovita.Dada said the items should not be viewed simply as government giveaways but as productive assets expected to generate income and employment.“These are not merely empowerment items; they are instruments of transformation that will generate income, create jobs, strengthen families and contribute meaningfully to the continued economic growth of Lagos State,” she said.Dada said the ministry’s economic empowerment efforts also extended beyond business equipment. Its interventions include agricultural support at the ministry’s Avia Farm in Badagry, where trained farmers have been given demonstration plots for cassava cultivation, oil palm production, organic vegetable farming and snail rearing.She also pointed to the ministry’s support for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence through psychosocial counselling, temporary shelter, legal assistance, rehabilitation, vocational training and enterprise support.The ministry, she said, was also working with women-focused non-governmental organisations registered with it to expand community outreach, family support, skills development and economic empowerment.The commissioner said the interventions were intended to address poverty from several directions, including income generation, food security, skills development and social protection.“For the ministry, our commitment to empowerment also extends to agriculture,” Dada said, adding that the government was using practical training and access to farming resources to help beneficiaries improve food production while creating sustainable income.She urged the latest beneficiaries to regard Tuesday’s distribution as the beginning of their responsibility to turn public support into viable businesses.“Government has placed confidence in your potential by investing in your future.“I encourage you to make the best use of these tools, build thriving enterprises, create employment opportunities, support your families and become worthy ambassadors of the Lagos State Government,” she said.Sanwo-Olu said the government would continue to support small businesses and expand economic inclusion across the state, insisting that the objective was to ensure that the benefits of governance reached communities beyond Lagos’ major economic centres.“We will continue to invest in our people, expand opportunities for small businesses, strengthen economic inclusion and ensure that the benefits of good governance reach every ward, every community and every household across Lagos State,” he said. “The real journey begins when beneficiaries are equipped with the tools required to establish sustainable businesses,” she said.She said MESI was created “to bridge that gap by providing start-up equipment that transforms learning into livelihoods.”The equipment distributed on Tuesday ranged from sewing and stoning machines, photography cameras and stands, deep freezers and popcorn machines to vulcanising equipment, manicure and pedicure kits, cake mixers, baking equipment and complete hairdressing and barbing sets.Beneficiaries in food and agricultural businesses received two-phase gas burners with large cooking pots, cassava graters, pressers and fryers, agricultural dehydrators and other processing equipment.Women involved in the raw food trade were also provided with food commodities including rice, beans, garri and semovita.Dada said the items should not be viewed simply as government giveaways but as productive assets expected to generate income and employment.“These are not merely empowerment items; they are instruments of transformation that will generate income, create jobs, strengthen families and contribute meaningfully to the continued economic growth of Lagos State,” she said.Dada said the ministry’s economic empowerment efforts also extended beyond business equipment. Its interventions include agricultural support at the ministry’s Avia Farm in Badagry, where trained farmers have been given demonstration plots for cassava cultivation, oil palm production, organic vegetable farming and snail rearing.She also pointed to the ministry’s support for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence through psychosocial counselling, temporary shelter, legal assistance, rehabilitation, vocational training and enterprise support.The ministry, she said, was also working with women-focused non-governmental organisations registered with it to expand community outreach, family support, skills development and economic empowerment.The commissioner said the interventions were intended to address poverty from several directions, including income generation, food security, skills development and social protection.“For the ministry, our commitment to empowerment also extends to agriculture,” Dada said, adding that the government was using practical training and access to farming resources to help beneficiaries improve food production while creating sustainable income.She urged the latest beneficiaries to regard Tuesday’s distribution as the beginning of their responsibility to turn public support into viable businesses.“Government has placed confidence in your potential by investing in your future.“I encourage you to make the best use of these tools, build thriving enterprises, create employment opportunities, support your families and become worthy ambassadors of the Lagos State Government,” she said.Sanwo-Olu said the government would continue to support small businesses and expand economic inclusion across the state, insisting that the objective was to ensure that the benefits of governance reached communities beyond Lagos’ major economic centres.“We will continue to invest in our people, expand opportunities for small businesses, strengthen economic inclusion and ensure that the benefits of good governance reach every ward, every community and every household across Lagos State,” he said. She said MESI was created “to bridge that gap by providing start-up equipment that transforms learning into livelihoods.”The equipment distributed on Tuesday ranged from sewing and stoning machines, photography cameras and stands, deep freezers and popcorn machines to vulcanising equipment, manicure and pedicure kits, cake mixers, baking equipment and complete hairdressing and barbing sets.Beneficiaries in food and agricultural businesses received two-phase gas burners with large cooking pots, cassava graters, pressers and fryers, agricultural dehydrators and other processing equipment.Women involved in the raw food trade were also provided with food commodities including rice, beans, garri and semovita.Dada said the items should not be viewed simply as government giveaways but as productive assets expected to generate income and employment.“These are not merely empowerment items; they are instruments of transformation that will generate income, create jobs, strengthen families and contribute meaningfully to the continued economic growth of Lagos State,” she said.Dada said the ministry’s economic empowerment efforts also extended beyond business equipment. Its interventions include agricultural support at the ministry’s Avia Farm in Badagry, where trained farmers have been given demonstration plots for cassava cultivation, oil palm production, organic vegetable farming and snail rearing.She also pointed to the ministry’s support for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence through psychosocial counselling, temporary shelter, legal assistance, rehabilitation, vocational training and enterprise support.The ministry, she said, was also working with women-focused non-governmental organisations registered with it to expand community outreach, family support, skills development and economic empowerment.The commissioner said the interventions were intended to address poverty from several directions, including income generation, food security, skills development and social protection.“For the ministry, our commitment to empowerment also extends to agriculture,” Dada said, adding that the government was using practical training and access to farming resources to help beneficiaries improve food production while creating sustainable income.She urged the latest beneficiaries to regard Tuesday’s distribution as the beginning of their responsibility to turn public support into viable businesses.“Government has placed confidence in your potential by investing in your future.“I encourage you to make the best use of these tools, build thriving enterprises, create employment opportunities, support your families and become worthy ambassadors of the Lagos State Government,” she said.Sanwo-Olu said the government would continue to support small businesses and expand economic inclusion across the state, insisting that the objective was to ensure that the benefits of governance reached communities beyond Lagos’ major economic centres.“We will continue to invest in our people, expand opportunities for small businesses, strengthen economic inclusion and ensure that the benefits of good governance reach every ward, every community and every household across Lagos State,” he said. The equipment distributed on Tuesday ranged from sewing and stoning machines, photography cameras and stands, deep freezers and popcorn machines to vulcanising equipment, manicure and pedicure kits, cake mixers, baking equipment and complete hairdressing and barbing sets.Beneficiaries in food and agricultural businesses received two-phase gas burners with large cooking pots, cassava graters, pressers and fryers, agricultural dehydrators and other processing equipment.Women involved in the raw food trade were also provided with food commodities including rice, beans, garri and semovita.Dada said the items should not be viewed simply as government giveaways but as productive assets expected to generate income and employment.“These are not merely empowerment items; they are instruments of transformation that will generate income, create jobs, strengthen families and contribute meaningfully to the continued economic growth of Lagos State,” she said.Dada said the ministry’s economic empowerment efforts also extended beyond business equipment. Its interventions include agricultural support at the ministry’s Avia Farm in Badagry, where trained farmers have been given demonstration plots for cassava cultivation, oil palm production, organic vegetable farming and snail rearing.She also pointed to the ministry’s support for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence through psychosocial counselling, temporary shelter, legal assistance, rehabilitation, vocational training and enterprise support.The ministry, she said, was also working with women-focused non-governmental organisations registered with it to expand community outreach, family support, skills development and economic empowerment.The commissioner said the interventions were intended to address poverty from several directions, including income generation, food security, skills development and social protection.“For the ministry, our commitment to empowerment also extends to agriculture,” Dada said, adding that the government was using practical training and access to farming resources to help beneficiaries improve food production while creating sustainable income.She urged the latest beneficiaries to regard Tuesday’s distribution as the beginning of their responsibility to turn public support into viable businesses.“Government has placed confidence in your potential by investing in your future.“I encourage you to make the best use of these tools, build thriving enterprises, create employment opportunities, support your families and become worthy ambassadors of the Lagos State Government,” she said.Sanwo-Olu said the government would continue to support small businesses and expand economic inclusion across the state, insisting that the objective was to ensure that the benefits of governance reached communities beyond Lagos’ major economic centres.“We will continue to invest in our people, expand opportunities for small businesses, strengthen economic inclusion and ensure that the benefits of good governance reach every ward, every community and every household across Lagos State,” he said. Beneficiaries in food and agricultural businesses received two-phase gas burners with large cooking pots, cassava graters, pressers and fryers, agricultural dehydrators and other processing equipment.Women involved in the raw food trade were also provided with food commodities including rice, beans, garri and semovita.Dada said the items should not be viewed simply as government giveaways but as productive assets expected to generate income and employment.“These are not merely empowerment items; they are instruments of transformation that will generate income, create jobs, strengthen families and contribute meaningfully to the continued economic growth of Lagos State,” she said.Dada said the ministry’s economic empowerment efforts also extended beyond business equipment. Its interventions include agricultural support at the ministry’s Avia Farm in Badagry, where trained farmers have been given demonstration plots for cassava cultivation, oil palm production, organic vegetable farming and snail rearing.She also pointed to the ministry’s support for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence through psychosocial counselling, temporary shelter, legal assistance, rehabilitation, vocational training and enterprise support.The ministry, she said, was also working with women-focused non-governmental organisations registered with it to expand community outreach, family support, skills development and economic empowerment.The commissioner said the interventions were intended to address poverty from several directions, including income generation, food security, skills development and social protection.“For the ministry, our commitment to empowerment also extends to agriculture,” Dada said, adding that the government was using practical training and access to farming resources to help beneficiaries improve food production while creating sustainable income.She urged the latest beneficiaries to regard Tuesday’s distribution as the beginning of their responsibility to turn public support into viable businesses.“Government has placed confidence in your potential by investing in your future.“I encourage you to make the best use of these tools, build thriving enterprises, create employment opportunities, support your families and become worthy ambassadors of the Lagos State Government,” she said.Sanwo-Olu said the government would continue to support small businesses and expand economic inclusion across the state, insisting that the objective was to ensure that the benefits of governance reached communities beyond Lagos’ major economic centres.“We will continue to invest in our people, expand opportunities for small businesses, strengthen economic inclusion and ensure that the benefits of good governance reach every ward, every community and every household across Lagos State,” he said. Women involved in the raw food trade were also provided with food commodities including rice, beans, garri and semovita.Dada said the items should not be viewed simply as government giveaways but as productive assets expected to generate income and employment.“These are not merely empowerment items; they are instruments of transformation that will generate income, create jobs, strengthen families and contribute meaningfully to the continued economic growth of Lagos State,” she said.Dada said the ministry’s economic empowerment efforts also extended beyond business equipment. Its interventions include agricultural support at the ministry’s Avia Farm in Badagry, where trained farmers have been given demonstration plots for cassava cultivation, oil palm production, organic vegetable farming and snail rearing.She also pointed to the ministry’s support for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence through psychosocial counselling, temporary shelter, legal assistance, rehabilitation, vocational training and enterprise support.The ministry, she said, was also working with women-focused non-governmental organisations registered with it to expand community outreach, family support, skills development and economic empowerment.The commissioner said the interventions were intended to address poverty from several directions, including income generation, food security, skills development and social protection.“For the ministry, our commitment to empowerment also extends to agriculture,” Dada said, adding that the government was using practical training and access to farming resources to help beneficiaries improve food production while creating sustainable income.She urged the latest beneficiaries to regard Tuesday’s distribution as the beginning of their responsibility to turn public support into viable businesses.“Government has placed confidence in your potential by investing in your future.“I encourage you to make the best use of these tools, build thriving enterprises, create employment opportunities, support your families and become worthy ambassadors of the Lagos State Government,” she said.Sanwo-Olu said the government would continue to support small businesses and expand economic inclusion across the state, insisting that the objective was to ensure that the benefits of governance reached communities beyond Lagos’ major economic centres.“We will continue to invest in our people, expand opportunities for small businesses, strengthen economic inclusion and ensure that the benefits of good governance reach every ward, every community and every household across Lagos State,” he said. Dada said the items should not be viewed simply as government giveaways but as productive assets expected to generate income and employment.“These are not merely empowerment items; they are instruments of transformation that will generate income, create jobs, strengthen families and contribute meaningfully to the continued economic growth of Lagos State,” she said.Dada said the ministry’s economic empowerment efforts also extended beyond business equipment. Its interventions include agricultural support at the ministry’s Avia Farm in Badagry, where trained farmers have been given demonstration plots for cassava cultivation, oil palm production, organic vegetable farming and snail rearing.She also pointed to the ministry’s support for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence through psychosocial counselling, temporary shelter, legal assistance, rehabilitation, vocational training and enterprise support.The ministry, she said, was also working with women-focused non-governmental organisations registered with it to expand community outreach, family support, skills development and economic empowerment.The commissioner said the interventions were intended to address poverty from several directions, including income generation, food security, skills development and social protection.“For the ministry, our commitment to empowerment also extends to agriculture,” Dada said, adding that the government was using practical training and access to farming resources to help beneficiaries improve food production while creating sustainable income.She urged the latest beneficiaries to regard Tuesday’s distribution as the beginning of their responsibility to turn public support into viable businesses.“Government has placed confidence in your potential by investing in your future.“I encourage you to make the best use of these tools, build thriving enterprises, create employment opportunities, support your families and become worthy ambassadors of the Lagos State Government,” she said.Sanwo-Olu said the government would continue to support small businesses and expand economic inclusion across the state, insisting that the objective was to ensure that the benefits of governance reached communities beyond Lagos’ major economic centres.“We will continue to invest in our people, expand opportunities for small businesses, strengthen economic inclusion and ensure that the benefits of good governance reach every ward, every community and every household across Lagos State,” he said. “These are not merely empowerment items; they are instruments of transformation that will generate income, create jobs, strengthen families and contribute meaningfully to the continued economic growth of Lagos State,” she said.Dada said the ministry’s economic empowerment efforts also extended beyond business equipment. Its interventions include agricultural support at the ministry’s Avia Farm in Badagry, where trained farmers have been given demonstration plots for cassava cultivation, oil palm production, organic vegetable farming and snail rearing.She also pointed to the ministry’s support for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence through psychosocial counselling, temporary shelter, legal assistance, rehabilitation, vocational training and enterprise support.The ministry, she said, was also working with women-focused non-governmental organisations registered with it to expand community outreach, family support, skills development and economic empowerment.The commissioner said the interventions were intended to address poverty from several directions, including income generation, food security, skills development and social protection.“For the ministry, our commitment to empowerment also extends to agriculture,” Dada said, adding that the government was using practical training and access to farming resources to help beneficiaries improve food production while creating sustainable income.She urged the latest beneficiaries to regard Tuesday’s distribution as the beginning of their responsibility to turn public support into viable businesses.“Government has placed confidence in your potential by investing in your future.“I encourage you to make the best use of these tools, build thriving enterprises, create employment opportunities, support your families and become worthy ambassadors of the Lagos State Government,” she said.Sanwo-Olu said the government would continue to support small businesses and expand economic inclusion across the state, insisting that the objective was to ensure that the benefits of governance reached communities beyond Lagos’ major economic centres.“We will continue to invest in our people, expand opportunities for small businesses, strengthen economic inclusion and ensure that the benefits of good governance reach every ward, every community and every household across Lagos State,” he said. Dada said the ministry’s economic empowerment efforts also extended beyond business equipment. Its interventions include agricultural support at the ministry’s Avia Farm in Badagry, where trained farmers have been given demonstration plots for cassava cultivation, oil palm production, organic vegetable farming and snail rearing.She also pointed to the ministry’s support for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence through psychosocial counselling, temporary shelter, legal assistance, rehabilitation, vocational training and enterprise support.The ministry, she said, was also working with women-focused non-governmental organisations registered with it to expand community outreach, family support, skills development and economic empowerment.The commissioner said the interventions were intended to address poverty from several directions, including income generation, food security, skills development and social protection.“For the ministry, our commitment to empowerment also extends to agriculture,” Dada said, adding that the government was using practical training and access to farming resources to help beneficiaries improve food production while creating sustainable income.She urged the latest beneficiaries to regard Tuesday’s distribution as the beginning of their responsibility to turn public support into viable businesses.“Government has placed confidence in your potential by investing in your future.“I encourage you to make the best use of these tools, build thriving enterprises, create employment opportunities, support your families and become worthy ambassadors of the Lagos State Government,” she said.Sanwo-Olu said the government would continue to support small businesses and expand economic inclusion across the state, insisting that the objective was to ensure that the benefits of governance reached communities beyond Lagos’ major economic centres.“We will continue to invest in our people, expand opportunities for small businesses, strengthen economic inclusion and ensure that the benefits of good governance reach every ward, every community and every household across Lagos State,” he said. She also pointed to the ministry’s support for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence through psychosocial counselling, temporary shelter, legal assistance, rehabilitation, vocational training and enterprise support.The ministry, she said, was also working with women-focused non-governmental organisations registered with it to expand community outreach, family support, skills development and economic empowerment.The commissioner said the interventions were intended to address poverty from several directions, including income generation, food security, skills development and social protection.“For the ministry, our commitment to empowerment also extends to agriculture,” Dada said, adding that the government was using practical training and access to farming resources to help beneficiaries improve food production while creating sustainable income.She urged the latest beneficiaries to regard Tuesday’s distribution as the beginning of their responsibility to turn public support into viable businesses.“Government has placed confidence in your potential by investing in your future.“I encourage you to make the best use of these tools, build thriving enterprises, create employment opportunities, support your families and become worthy ambassadors of the Lagos State Government,” she said.Sanwo-Olu said the government would continue to support small businesses and expand economic inclusion across the state, insisting that the objective was to ensure that the benefits of governance reached communities beyond Lagos’ major economic centres.“We will continue to invest in our people, expand opportunities for small businesses, strengthen economic inclusion and ensure that the benefits of good governance reach every ward, every community and every household across Lagos State,” he said. The ministry, she said, was also working with women-focused non-governmental organisations registered with it to expand community outreach, family support, skills development and economic empowerment.The commissioner said the interventions were intended to address poverty from several directions, including income generation, food security, skills development and social protection.“For the ministry, our commitment to empowerment also extends to agriculture,” Dada said, adding that the government was using practical training and access to farming resources to help beneficiaries improve food production while creating sustainable income.She urged the latest beneficiaries to regard Tuesday’s distribution as the beginning of their responsibility to turn public support into viable businesses.“Government has placed confidence in your potential by investing in your future.“I encourage you to make the best use of these tools, build thriving enterprises, create employment opportunities, support your families and become worthy ambassadors of the Lagos State Government,” she said.Sanwo-Olu said the government would continue to support small businesses and expand economic inclusion across the state, insisting that the objective was to ensure that the benefits of governance reached communities beyond Lagos’ major economic centres.“We will continue to invest in our people, expand opportunities for small businesses, strengthen economic inclusion and ensure that the benefits of good governance reach every ward, every community and every household across Lagos State,” he said. The commissioner said the interventions were intended to address poverty from several directions, including income generation, food security, skills development and social protection.“For the ministry, our commitment to empowerment also extends to agriculture,” Dada said, adding that the government was using practical training and access to farming resources to help beneficiaries improve food production while creating sustainable income.She urged the latest beneficiaries to regard Tuesday’s distribution as the beginning of their responsibility to turn public support into viable businesses.“Government has placed confidence in your potential by investing in your future.“I encourage you to make the best use of these tools, build thriving enterprises, create employment opportunities, support your families and become worthy ambassadors of the Lagos State Government,” she said.Sanwo-Olu said the government would continue to support small businesses and expand economic inclusion across the state, insisting that the objective was to ensure that the benefits of governance reached communities beyond Lagos’ major economic centres.“We will continue to invest in our people, expand opportunities for small businesses, strengthen economic inclusion and ensure that the benefits of good governance reach every ward, every community and every household across Lagos State,” he said. “For the ministry, our commitment to empowerment also extends to agriculture,” Dada said, adding that the government was using practical training and access to farming resources to help beneficiaries improve food production while creating sustainable income.She urged the latest beneficiaries to regard Tuesday’s distribution as the beginning of their responsibility to turn public support into viable businesses.“Government has placed confidence in your potential by investing in your future.“I encourage you to make the best use of these tools, build thriving enterprises, create employment opportunities, support your families and become worthy ambassadors of the Lagos State Government,” she said.Sanwo-Olu said the government would continue to support small businesses and expand economic inclusion across the state, insisting that the objective was to ensure that the benefits of governance reached communities beyond Lagos’ major economic centres.“We will continue to invest in our people, expand opportunities for small businesses, strengthen economic inclusion and ensure that the benefits of good governance reach every ward, every community and every household across Lagos State,” he said. She urged the latest beneficiaries to regard Tuesday’s distribution as the beginning of their responsibility to turn public support into viable businesses.“Government has placed confidence in your potential by investing in your future.“I encourage you to make the best use of these tools, build thriving enterprises, create employment opportunities, support your families and become worthy ambassadors of the Lagos State Government,” she said.Sanwo-Olu said the government would continue to support small businesses and expand economic inclusion across the state, insisting that the objective was to ensure that the benefits of governance reached communities beyond Lagos’ major economic centres.“We will continue to invest in our people, expand opportunities for small businesses, strengthen economic inclusion and ensure that the benefits of good governance reach every ward, every community and every household across Lagos State,” he said. “Government has placed confidence in your potential by investing in your future.“I encourage you to make the best use of these tools, build thriving enterprises, create employment opportunities, support your families and become worthy ambassadors of the Lagos State Government,” she said.Sanwo-Olu said the government would continue to support small businesses and expand economic inclusion across the state, insisting that the objective was to ensure that the benefits of governance reached communities beyond Lagos’ major economic centres.“We will continue to invest in our people, expand opportunities for small businesses, strengthen economic inclusion and ensure that the benefits of good governance reach every ward, every community and every household across Lagos State,” he said. “I encourage you to make the best use of these tools, build thriving enterprises, create employment opportunities, support your families and become worthy ambassadors of the Lagos State Government,” she said.Sanwo-Olu said the government would continue to support small businesses and expand economic inclusion across the state, insisting that the objective was to ensure that the benefits of governance reached communities beyond Lagos’ major economic centres.“We will continue to invest in our people, expand opportunities for small businesses, strengthen economic inclusion and ensure that the benefits of good governance reach every ward, every community and every household across Lagos State,” he said. Sanwo-Olu said the government would continue to support small businesses and expand economic inclusion across the state, insisting that the objective was to ensure that the benefits of governance reached communities beyond Lagos’ major economic centres.“We will continue to invest in our people, expand opportunities for small businesses, strengthen economic inclusion and ensure that the benefits of good governance reach every ward, every community and every household across Lagos State,” he said. “We will continue to invest in our people, expand opportunities for small businesses, strengthen economic inclusion and ensure that the benefits of good governance reach every ward, every community and every household across Lagos State,” he said.