Sanwo-Olu donates 1,700 tools to entrepreneurs in Lagos

By Adeola Ogunrinde –

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to breaking barriers and dismantling discrimination in order to create an environment where women can flourish.

He made this remark during the second phase of the 2025 Micro Enterprise Support Initiative (MESI), organized by the Lagos State Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA) at the Blue Roof, Alausa, Ikeja. The Governor, represented by his wife, Dr. (Mrs.) Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, oversaw the distribution of 1,700 working tools to beneficiaries to support entrepreneurship in the state.

The donated items included stoning machines, aluminum fabricating machines, sewing machines, hairdressing kits, agricultural inputs such as fertilizer and seeds, vap sack sprayers, orange-fleshed sweet potato vines, and cake mixers. Other items distributed were photography equipment, cameras, industrial burners with cooking pots, gas cylinders, vulcanizing machines, POS machines, popcorn machines, pedicure sets, cash grants for petty traders, and pepper grinders.

Sanwo-Olu described women as the foundation of homes, drivers of small businesses, and nurturers of future generations. “When you empower a woman, you empower a family, a community, and indeed the entire society,” he said. He noted that the MESI initiative was designed to strengthen women-owned businesses, provide capital and resources, and open pathways to financial independence.

Advising the beneficiaries, Sanwo-Olu urged them to see the support as a seed to be nurtured with discipline and diligence. He warned against selling or misusing the equipment, stressing that the tools were provided to transform their lives, uplift their families, and contribute to their communities.

The Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Mrs. Bolaji Cecilia-Dada, described the programme as a platform designed to strengthen the economic backbone of women, families, and communities across Lagos. She said 70 percent of the beneficiaries were graduates of the state’s tuition-free Skills Acquisition Centres, carefully selected to continue their journey from training into enterprise.

“These items are not just working tools but gateways to dignity, productivity, and financial independence,” Cecilia-Dada said.

The Permanent Secretary of WAPA, Mrs. Rianat Ajibike Onigbanjo, also urged beneficiaries to make the best use of the resources provided. She encouraged them to use the tools as foundations for thriving enterprises that would benefit not only their households but also their communities.