The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Corporation (NAIC), Mrs. Folashade Joseph has empowered about two hundred vulnerable widows in Ijumu local government area of Kogi State with “seed money” to enhance their businesses.
The widows empowerment which started in 2019 under the Pa Alfred Oladele Omoniwa Foundation has so far empowered over 500 widows.
Speaking at the ceremony held at the Palace of the Olujumu of Ijumu Kingdom, Mrs. Joseph presented the sum of twenty five thousand naira each to the widows to enable them start small scale businesses.
“This Empowerment for widows in Ijumu cut across the entire Local Government and this is because the widows are very vulnerable and their situation desires a lot of assistance. Nobody takes care of them and we’re touching the very vulnerable ones. This is actually to take care of them. What we do is to give them seed money and I have been doing this for about 3 years. When we give them seed money, we also follow up to see that they’re utilizing it well.”
She explained that the programme was aimed at replicating the effort of the Federal Government to life 100 million Nigeria in the next few years.
“The Federal Government is magnanimous and Mr. President Muhammadu Buhari has said that his administration will take 100 million Nigerians out of poverty but I don’t believe that we should leave everything up to the Federal Government. In our own little way as we are doing now, is actually going to help to take some people out of poverty, encourage them to do business and be independent,” she stated.
Mrs Joseph encouraged the widows to make judicious use of the money and promised to sustain the empowerment programme to enhance their standard of living.
The Olujumu of Ijumu and Chairman Ijumu Local Government Traditional Council, His Royal Majesty, Oba Williams Olusegun Ayeni described Mrs Folashade Joseph as a pride of Ijumu Kingdom, describing the gesture as eventful and timely.
Oba Ayeni thanked the Managing Director for putting smile on the faces of the people and urged other well-to-do sons and daughters of Ijumu to emulate the gesture.
He congratulated Joseph on her reappointment and enjoined the people of Ijumu Kingdom to support her especially in their daily prayers.
Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Mrs Alana Medayese thanked Mrs Joseph for standing up for the widows, saying most of them are now self reliant as the petty business like frying Akara, selling of farm produce and others is now flourishing.
