Kwara Empowers Visually Impaired Mother of Four, Others with Cash, Tools

Hammed Shittu in Ilorin

Kwara State Government yesterday empowered a visually impaired mother of four, Mrs. Kehinde Ajibade, and 350 other beneficiaries, as part of its efforts to boost the socio-economic development of the less-privileged people in the state.

Ajibade, who was accompanied to the venue of the event by her blind husband and two of her children, said she is a native of Ondo State but resident in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.

The event was organised by the Office of the Special Assistant to the Governor on Women Empowerment.

Hundreds of tools, including sewing machines, deep freezer, guiding machines, make-up kits, and cash were given to various categories of people based on their needs assessment.

Beneficiaries of the empowerment are spread across the 16 local government areas of the state.

Speaking at the event in Ilorin, the state Governor, Alhaji AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, also reaffirmed that his government has an obligation to ensure that no segment of the society is left behind.

He said the programme aligned with his administration efforts to drive inclusive growth, poverty reduction, and societal cohesion.

The governor said: “Our objective for supporting this kind of initiative is to give everyone a fair sense of belonging.

“This is not tokenism as some people may claim. It is a form of economic inclusion which is important to strengthen societal cohesion.”

He appealed to beneficiaries of the items to use them properly as a complement to their earlier training.

The governor added: “Our appeal to the beneficiaries is to use it properly. I’m aware that some of the beneficiaries had earlier been trained, and this is only to get them starting. For some others, it is the government’s response to their needs assessment at this time.

“Every society is divided into strata and each of them deserves to be taken care of within available resources. This is what we are committed to. We will not leave anyone behind.

“A careful reading of our Economic Sustainability and Delivery Plan 2021-2024 shows clearly the direction we are heading. We are not just committed to opening up Kwara State for sustainable development by building critical infrastructure, we are working very hard to achieve inclusive growth that brings everyone on board.”

The Special Assistant to the Governor on Women Empowerment, Hajia Bolanle Ismail, said the administration believed that entrepreneurship is a viral component of the global campaign against mass poverty.

“It is vital to have support mechanisms, organisations, mentors, networks and training through which we can implement our brilliant, game-changing ideas. We are incredibly fortunate to have all of these in the roadmap of the government,” she said.