The Lagos State Government has distributed business equipment to 3,792 residents under its Micro Enterprise Support Initiative (MESI), aimed at helping beneficiaries establish businesses and improve their livelihoods.
The empowerment programme, organised by the Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, was held at De Blue Roof, Lagos Television, Agidingbi, Ikeja.
Beneficiaries received equipment for various trades, including tailoring, photography, aluminium and tile cutting, baking, catering, food processing, agriculture, hairdressing, barbing, cosmetology and vulcanising.
The initiative is designed to ensure that people who have completed vocational training have the tools they need to start businesses instead of remaining unemployed due to a lack of equipment.
Speaking at the event, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu said the programme reflects his administration’s commitment to creating opportunities that improve the lives of residents.
According to him, the success of any government should be measured by how many people it empowers and how many lives it positively impacts.
He described MESI as a practical demonstration of the government’s promise to create jobs, reduce poverty and support entrepreneurship across Lagos.
Sanwo-Olu noted that while large businesses contribute to the state’s economy, small business owners, artisans, traders and entrepreneurs remain the backbone of economic growth.
“When we empower one entrepreneur, we strengthen a family. When we empower thousands, we strengthen the economy of Lagos State,” he said.
The governor urged beneficiaries to see the equipment as business investments rather than gifts, encouraging them to grow successful enterprises, create jobs and support their families.
He also said the programme was designed to reach residents in every part of the state, including rural and riverine communities, stressing that no hardworking Lagosian should be denied opportunities because of where they live.
Sanwo-Olu linked the initiative to the social inclusion and economic development goals of his administration’s THEMES+ agenda, saying government should create opportunities that help people become financially independent rather than dependent on public support.
Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Bolaji Dada, revealed that since the beginning of the Sanwo-Olu administration, 18,990 residents have benefited from MESI through the distribution of business start-up equipment.
She added that more than 35,000 residents have completed free vocational training at the ministry’s skills acquisition centres, while over 1,100 people have received digital skills training.
According to her, the ministry has also provided food support to more than 4,000 vulnerable families through its Ounje Lo Re Awo programme and empowered over 18,000 residents through its Life Skills and Economic Empowerment Programme.
She further disclosed that over 5,500 widows have received financial grants to support their businesses.
Dada explained that the government intentionally combines vocational training with access to equipment so beneficiaries can immediately put their skills into practice.
“Training alone is not enough. The real journey begins when beneficiaries have the tools needed to build sustainable businesses,” she said.
The equipment distributed included sewing machines, industrial stoning machines, cameras, deep freezers, popcorn machines, cake mixers, baking equipment, hairdressing and barbing kits, manicure and pedicure sets, as well as agricultural processing machines such as cassava graters, pressers, fryers and dehydrators.
Some beneficiaries also received food items, including rice, beans, garri and semovita, to support businesses in the food sector.
Beyond business support, Dada said the ministry continues to invest in agriculture through its Avia Farm in Badagry, where farmers receive practical training in cassava cultivation, oil palm production, organic vegetable farming and snail rearing.
She added that the ministry also supports survivors of sexual and gender-based violence through counselling, temporary shelter, legal assistance, vocational training and economic empowerment.
The commissioner encouraged beneficiaries to make good use of the equipment, build successful businesses and contribute to the state’s economy.
Governor Sanwo-Olu reaffirmed that his administration would continue expanding opportunities for small businesses and ensure that the benefits of governance reach every community across Lagos State.
