A member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Emmanuel Olotu, has distributed N10 million to 40 constituents as start-up support to promote Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Ifako-Ijaiye Constituency II.
Each beneficiary received N250,000 during the empowerment exercise held at the lawmaker’s constituency office in Ojokoro Local Council Development Area.
Olotu explained that the initiative was designed to strengthen entrepreneurs, boost small business growth, and contribute to local economic development. He noted that the effort aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which seeks to reduce hardship at the grassroots.
He recalled that only weeks earlier, he convened a stakeholders’ meeting where over 800 residents benefited from an empowerment package worth more than N80 million. That intervention, he added, supported business activities, children’s education, and other pressing family needs.
“Today, I have chosen another 40 beneficiaries for N250,000 each to either establish or sustain their businesses,” he said, pledging continued service and effective representation for his constituency.
Olotu further emphasized that small businesses play a vital role in job creation, community development, and poverty reduction. He also noted that earlier empowerment schemes had reached over 600 people with N50,000 each.
Beneficiaries expressed appreciation for the intervention. Mrs. Femi Alamu, a trader, said the fund would help revive her petty trade and enable her to expand. Another recipient, Mr. Segun Alawaye, described the support as transformative, saying it would significantly improve his business prospects.