MESI Programme: Lagos Women in business receive tools, grants as boost from Sanwo-Olu
Mrs Sanwo-Olu and others at the event
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Tuesday has reassured of his administration’s commitment to women empowerment and poverty alleviation as he flagged off another phase of the Micro Enterprise Support Initiative (MESI) at the Blue Roof, LTV Complex, Agidingbi, Ikeja.
Addressing beneficiaries, the Governor described MESI as more than a government programme, but rather a strategic commitment to lifting women and safeguarding their rights.
He explained that the initiative was created to strengthen women-owned businesses, provide capital and resources, and open a pathway to financial independence.
Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by his wife, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, also recalled that he personally attended a similar empowerment series in April at the same venue, noting that the government’s determination to sustain the cause was unwavering.
“This initiative is more than a programme; it is a statement of our government’s commitment to creating opportunities for women to thrive and to safeguard their rights,” Sanwo-Olu said.
“Over the years, I have seen first-hand that when you empower a woman, you empower a family, a community, and indeed the entire society. Today’s beneficiaries are not just receiving support; they are receiving renewed hope and an opportunity to contribute meaningfully to our State’s economic growth,” he added.
The Governor, while congratulating the beneficiaries, cautioned them against selling or misusing the equipment given to them, stressing that the tools and grants were meant to change lives.
“This support is a seed, nurture it with discipline, determination, and diligence, and you will reap abundant harvests. They have been given to you to change your story, to lift your families, and to contribute to your communities. Use them productively to build sustainable businesses, and in turn, empower others,” he said.
Sanwo-Olu reiterated that the future of Lagos rested heavily on the empowerment of women.
“The greatness of Lagos depends on the strength of its people. And the strength of our people is rooted in the empowerment of our women. Together, we will continue to build a Lagos of resilience, inclusivity, and shared prosperity,” he said.
In her remarks, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Hon. Bolaji Cecilia Dada described MESI as one of the Ministry’s most impactful interventions, pointing out that seventy per cent of the beneficiaries were graduates of Lagos State’s tuition-free Skills Acquisition Centres who had been carefully selected to transition from training into productive enterprise.
She explained that the day’s empowerment covered a wide range of start-up support items, including stoning machines, aluminium fabricating machines, sewing machines, hairdressing kits, agricultural items such as fertilizers, seeds, vap sack sprayers and orange fleshed sweet potato vines, as well as cake mixers, photography equipment and cameras, two-phase industrial burners with cooking pots, spatulas, slotted spoons and gas cylinders, vulcanizing machines, POS machines, popcorn machines with gas cylinders, pedicure sets, pepper grinders and cash grants for petty traders.
“These items are not just working tools, but gateways to dignity, productivity, and financial independence.
“They represent government’s commitment to reducing poverty and providing practical solutions to everyday economic challenges faced by women and families in Lagos State,” Dada said.
The Commissioner stressed that MESI was part of a broader empowerment agenda, citing the Life Skills Economic Empowerment Programme (LEEP), which has recently trained about 1,500 women, men and young adults across Lagos.
She also noted that more than 5,000 beneficiaries had graduated from similar skills programmes in recent months, each of them launched into business with starter packs.
Dada also explained that the Ministry provided rehabilitation and empowerment support for survivors of domestic violence, helping them reintegrate into society with renewed confidence and livelihoods.
She added that WAPA collaborated with women-focused NGOs and recently organised an interactive session on fire and general safety, where professional facilitators trained participants on emergency response techniques.
On agriculture, the Commissioner disclosed that the Ministry had moved from advocacy to action by supporting cassava training, palm oil production, fufu processing, fish farming and the distribution of garri processing machines.
She also spoke about the establishment of the WAPA Women in Agriculture Cooperative Society, which gives women farmers access to resources, training, financial support and market linkages.
“Through WAIT, we are raising women agripreneurs who will not only feed their families, but also contribute meaningfully to food sufficiency and economic growth in Lagos State,” she said.
Dada praised Governor Sanwo-Olu for his inclusive governance style, describing him as a leader who has consistently given women, youths and families across the state a new lease of hope and opportunities.
