DG Saka Yusuf-Ogunleye says initiative, championed by Tunji-Ojo ‘ll Extend to all 18 LGAs in Ondo State
The Grassroots Movement for Tinubu (GMT) has taken the second phase of its Elosoloja Empowerment Outreach to Ifedore Local Government Area of Ondo State, providing financial support to market women and small-scale traders as part of efforts to boost economic activities at the grassroots.
The empowerment programme, held at the Igbara-Oke Market, attracted traders, community leaders and members of the movement, with beneficiaries receiving cash support to strengthen their businesses.
Speaking at the event, the Director-General of GMT, Saka Yusuf Ogunleye, said the initiative was directed by the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, as part of his commitment to improving the welfare of the people of Ondo State through targeted economic interventions.
According to Ogunleye, the programme is designed to provide direct assistance to women and other vulnerable groups while promoting self-reliance through support for small businesses.
He said, “This empowerment programme reflects the commitment of the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, to giving back to the people. It is intended to support market women and small business owners with resources that will help them grow their businesses and improve their livelihoods.”
He noted that the first phase of the initiative had been successfully implemented in six local government areas of the state, adding that the second phase had commenced with Ifedore and would subsequently cover other parts of Ondo State.
“Our target is to ensure that every local government area in Ondo State benefits from this initiative. We want more people to feel the impact of this intervention because economic empowerment at the grassroots remains critical to community development,” Ogunleye added.
The State Secretary of GMT, Rasheed Badmus, said the movement remained committed to expanding the programme to reach more residents across the state.
“This is not a one-off intervention. We are determined to ensure that more people, especially women and small-scale entrepreneurs, benefit from this programme as it progresses across the state,” he said.
Also speaking, the Coordinator of the Elosoloja Initiative, Mrs. Lola Fagbemi, urged beneficiaries to make productive use of the financial support.
“We encourage every beneficiary to invest this support wisely in their businesses. The objective is to improve family incomes, strengthen local commerce and create lasting economic benefits within our communities,” she said.
The GMT Coordinator in Ifedore Local Government Area, Ajikeola Olorunogo Clement, described the outreach as a welcome intervention for traders in the area.
“Our people are grateful for this initiative. It has brought hope to many market women and traders, and we are confident that more communities in Ifedore and across the state will benefit in the coming phases,” Clement stated.
Some of the beneficiaries, who spoke with journalists after receiving the financial support, expressed appreciation to the organisers, describing the intervention as timely amid prevailing economic challenges.
One of the beneficiaries said the assistance would help her restock her shop, while another noted that the support would ease the financial burden on her business and improve her capacity to meet customers’ demands.
The organisers said the empowerment outreach would continue in other local government areas as part of efforts to extend the initiative to communities across Ondo State.
