The Kwara State Commissioner for Finance and Planning, Florence Oyeyemi, on Tuesday, announced that the state government will soon establish cottage industries in all the 16 local government areas of the state to boost local businesses.
Oyeyemi, who disclosed this while speaking with journalists shortly after the presentation of palm nut cracking machine to black soap makers in Odo-Owa, Oke-Ero Local Government Area of the state, also called on members of the society to cultivate the habit of assisting women and youths.
She explained that the empowerment was done in line with the vision and mission of the administration of Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq on ease of doing business and to empower women and youth.
According to the commissioner, about two months ago, she got wind of the difficulties facing the old women when cracking palm nuts on a well-worn mortar in the process of making black soap through a publication a colleague in the state cabinet shared with her and decided to help them with a machine that they can enjoy some comfort while doing their business.
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She said further that before now, the women were extracting the substance from palm nut with the use of hand thereby making the process to be very strenuous and time-consuming hence her intervention to donate a palm nut cracking machine for that same process for them to make it easier and faster.
Oyeyemi advised the beneficiaries to form a cooperative society and donated undisclosed cash as a revolving fund, saying that the proceeds from it should be used to service and maintain the machine.
Also speaking, Raheem Ajuloopin, the House of Representatives member representing Ekiti/Isin/Irepodun and Oke Ero Federal Constituency, commended Oyeyemi for the laudable effort, noting that he would replicate it for his constituents.
Ajuloopin explained that the empowerment programme is in line with several other programmes of the Federal Government to empower youths in the country and donated the sum of N200,000 to be added to the revolving fund for the women in their cooperative society.
Some of the beneficiaries who spoke at the event expressed their deepest gratitude for empowering them.
