The Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC), has begun the process of wealth creation through empowerment opportunities to youths and women in the mandate areas of the State.
This was disclosed on Tuesday by Princess Abike Bayo – Ilawole the Secretary of the Commission when the State Chairman of the National Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (NASME), Mr. Temitope Adeyemi and his team paid her a courtesy visit in the Commission’s Head Office at Oba-ile.
Princess Ilawole said the initiative is highly commendable as it will revolutionize youths and women development in the mandate areas.
The Secretary said the drive is to facilitate grants and loans for youths and women to strengthen and harmonize interventions aimed at improving their living conditions for self reliance and sustainable development through agriculture, agribusiness, and small and medium scale enterprises.
Tope Adeyemi, the State Chairman of NASME speaking during the visit expressed enthusiasm about the potential partnership saying the proposed collaboration with OSOPADEC is to jointly implement initiatives, targeting women, youths and artisans; identifying priority projects for community based SMEs and establishing fully equipped vocational centres in strategic locations.
Mr. Adeyemi described OSOPADEC as a formidable interventionist agency that is doing well in transforming lives in order to benefit humanity.
He said the partnership if properly harnessed will bring about poverty reduction as well as increase employment, empower communities with sustainable livelihood and aid economic diversification in the oil producing areas.
The Director, Youth/Women Development and Poverty Alleviation, Mr. Wale Mafolabomi while appreciating the effort of NASME expressed the Commission’s delight on the initiative saying the collaboration is timely and a welcome development.
Mr. Mafolabomi said the Commission remains resolute and dedicated to delivering projects that will impact the lives of the people of Ilaje and Ese-odo local government areas.
He said the Commission will key into the initiative and identify projects and programmes that will be of immense benefits.
