The First Bank of Nigeria Limited, with Rotary Club International, District 9110, has distributed 20 million Naira worth of start-up kits to 102 beneficiaries in Lagos to empower them across various trades.
The start-up kits distributed included: grinding machines, plumbing kits, deep freezers, sewing machines, generators, gas burners and cylinders, barbers, and hairdresser kits, among others.
The community intervention project had beneficiaries from the three major ethnic groups in Nigeria drawn from Lagos, Ogun, and Oyo states.
Unit Head, Other SME Products e-Business, and Retail, FirstBank, Mrs. Helen Ihonre, during the presentation, offered insights on financial management and economic discipline. She emphasised the importance of maintaining records and accessing low-interest loans to support business growth and expansion.
She urged beneficiaries to prioritise saving from the inception of their businesses, while discouraging them from keeping funds at home, which might lead to misuse. “Start saving from the beginning of your business. Don’t wait till you sell then keep the money in your house”, she said.
Rotary District 9110 Governor, Ifeyinwa Ejezie, spoke on the significance of economic empowerment in Rotary’s initiatives and called for government collaboration to reach grassroots communities effectively. She emphasised the role of Rotary in complementing government efforts and stressed the need for recognition and partnership to enhance community development. She added that the N20 million items distributed were the largest the district had done in one empowerment initiative in recent times.
Rotary International District Governor Nominee Designate, Bukola Bakare, explained the process and challenges of raising funds for the project and how they incorporated Rotary from Singapore to absorb shocks from inflation. She said, “Everything that has been given here today is free for the beneficiaries”.
She mentioned that FirstBank was a major sponsor for the project, adding that the 102 beneficiaries were chosen based on a needs analysis from Igbos, Hausa, and Yorubas residents in Lagos, Ogun, and Oyo states.
“FirstBank is our major supporter for this programme,” she said.
Permanent Board Member, Lagos State Universal Basic Education, Mr. Babatunde Adewale, lauded the empowerment programme while reeling out contributions and projects of Rotary International to schools in the state. “We appreciate Rotary and SUBEB will always continue to collaborate with them,” he said.
Director, of Lagos State Agency for Mass Education, Mrs. Kemi Kalesanwo, said 22 out of the 102 beneficiaries were from the agency’s vocational training centres. Kalesanwo said the state government believed in public, and private partnerships and was happy with the collaboration with Rotary and FirstBank.
She listed projects donated by Rotary including the construction of one of the eight vocational training centres, owned by the agency in the Igbogbo area of Lagos. Kalesanwo urged other Nigerians to support government programmes.
Otumba Wemmy Osunde, Chairman, Illisan Development Association, Ogun State, pledged personal commitment to ensuring beneficiaries utilise the items for economic gain. Adekunmi Adeniyi, an industrial gas burner and cylinder beneficiary alongside other beneficiaries expressed gratitude to Rotary International and FirstBank for the initiative. He acknowledged the impact on their respective trades and crafts.
Culled from NAN