Ogun State APC Governorship candidate, Senator Solomon Adeola (Yayi), today empowered 3,000 market women and men from Ogun East Senatorial District with grants of N75,000 each, describing the initiative as part of efforts to strengthen small businesses and cushion the impact of prevailing economic challenges.
Speaking at the 5th Market Women/Men Support Fund Empowerment Programme held at the Ojude Oba Pavilion, Awujale Palace, Ijebu Ode, Adeola said the intervention, implemented in partnership with the National Productivity Centre, aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda aimed at boosting the nation’s economy.
The senator stressed that the financial support was a grant and not a loan, urging beneficiaries to invest the funds in expanding their businesses rather than diverting them to unrelated purposes.
“A total of 3,000 market women and men from Ogun East will receive a grant of N75,000 each to further boost their economic viability. This is not a loan but a grant designed to bring relief to a critical sector of our economy and stimulate economic growth,” he said.
Adeola explained that the programme, popularly known as “Oloja Yayi,” began in 2023 while he was campaigning for the Ogun West Senate seat after observing the financial difficulties faced by traders.
According to him, the initiative has grown from supporting traders in Ogun West to becoming a statewide intervention, with successive editions benefiting thousands of market men and women.
He noted that previous editions had empowered 5,000 traders with grants ranging from N25,000 to N75,000, adding that the current edition is being held separately across the state’s three senatorial districts.
The senator also assured about 2,000 traders who were not captured in the current phase that they would be considered in the next edition, expressing optimism that the programme would continue beyond 2027.
“I am aware that about 2,000 members here today are not beneficiaries. By God’s grace, after my election in 2027, all of you will benefit because the ‘Oloja Yayi’ programme will continue under my administration,” he said.
Beyond financial empowerment, Adeola highlighted infrastructure projects facilitated to improve commercial activities across Ogun State.
He disclosed that he had facilitated the construction of 43 modern markets and other supporting infrastructure within the last three and a half years.
In Ogun East, he listed projects including ultra-modern markets in Abigi, Ogun Waterside Local Government Area, Mobalufon Trailer Park in Odogbolu Local Government Area and Ogijo in Sagamu Local Government Area, alongside motorised and solar-powered boreholes and solar street lights across major markets in the district.
Adeola maintained that beneficiaries of his empowerment programmes are selected without bias or personal influence, insisting that the interventions are open to all qualified residents regardless of political affiliation or background.
He called on beneficiaries to make prudent use of the grants to improve their businesses and livelihoods while reaffirming his commitment to sustaining initiatives that promote economic growth and support vulnerable traders across Ogun State.
