PeakNews Online
Oyo State Government on Thursday disbursed grants to 500 vulnerable and indigent persons as part of measures to alleviate poverty and improve living standard of all residents of the state.
The Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Inclusion, Mrs Toyin Balogun, presented cheques to the beneficiaries at the Presidential Lodge at Government House, Agodi in Ibadan.
Balogun said the Social Safety Net Intervention Programme was tagged “Oyo State Poverty Alleviation Grant (O’PAG)”.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the programme was targeted at the vulnerable, indigent women, elderly and people living with different disabilities.
The Commissioner noted that the grant was intended to provide succour by enabling the beneficiaries to start micro and nano businesses to meet their respective basic needs.
She explained that the first tranche of the grant disbursement was for those who requested for financial assistance from government through her office.
According to her, the ministry targets lifting a minimum of four million indigent family units from poverty to “self-sustenance and prosperity”.
”This will be through various interventions within the timeline of Mr Seyi Makinde-led government,” Balogun said.
She said the present administration in the state, through her ministry, would continue to ensure that the broad spectrum of the indigent across the state were supported.
The Commissioner promised that more programmes and interventions would soon be rolled out.
She said these would involve vocational training and skills acquisition that would effectively and sustainably empower women and all other vulnerable demographics in the state.
Balogun enjoined well-meaning Nigerians to support government efforts in lifting many people out of poverty, saying empowering the citizens financially is not just the responsibility of government.
“We all have a role to play — whether as individuals, communities, or institutions — in creating an environment where we can all thrive financially,” she said.
NAN reports that some of the beneficiaries, Toyin Abiodun, Blessing Nzubechi, Debo Sowemimo and Mojisola Moradeyo, later while speaking at the occasion appreciated the state government for the gesture.
They promised to utilise the grants in a way that would have positive impact on their living standard.
NAN also reports that the grant ranges between N50,000 and N250,000.(NAN)
