Over six hundred youths in Lekki area of Lagos have been empowered with interest free loans by Chief Amina Temitope Ajayi (Mama Diaspora), as startup capital to engage in businesses of their choice after three weeks of intensive training.
The loans and trainings which were facilitated by SV-NED Inc /Silicon Valley Ibeju Lekki Cooperative Multi Purpose Society Limited in collaboration with Global Connection for Women Foundation, GC4W was aimed at equipping the youths to be self dependent as future business leaders.
The youths numbering about 600 so far were given amount ranging from N15000, N20000 and above as interest free loans.
Speaking during the presentation of the loans in Lekki – Lagos, the chairman of Silicon Valley Nigerian Economic Development, SV-NED, Chief Temitope Ajayi, (Mama Diaspora) stated that she would like to partner with the federal government, especially the Ministry of Humanitarian in the area of training, soft loans for small startups.
Chief Ajayi noted that the provision of interest free loans is imperative because the youths are business people who have been trained and know the value of money and what to invest on.
She explained that the the youths were given business academy training, which lasted for three weeks.
According to. her: “Some of these youths were at Lekki, they joined in the #End SARS Protest, because they live in my neighbourhood and you know that idle mind is devil workshop, because the devil can use any body to destroy things, so I have to engage them, train them and provide interest free loans to start their businesses.
Chief Ajayi appealed to President Muhammed Buhari to engage the mothers in findings solutions to the recent End SARS Protest.
“President Buhari is trying his best by inviting everybody, former Presidents, traditional rulers on solution to the protest, except the mothers. The mothers are the only one that can help the President to solve this problems, let’s sit with them, we know how to talk with them. They should invite the mothers,” she said.
She explained further that: “Most of the youths here did not take the programme serious, while some of took it serious, we took them through the programme, they fill the forms, bring guarantors, make them open a bank account at Zenith Bank the Zenith Bank opened 600 Bank account with there ATM for our SV-NED Entrepreneurship Empowerment programs , because if you want to be a businessman, you have to have a bank account, if you don’t have a bank account, we will not give you this money and it has to be a Zenith Bank account.
“With N20,000, they will make turnovers, keep their profits and return the money and take more goods. The only thing am begging manufactures is to make us distributor so that we can get their goods at a very cheaper price,” she said.
Chief Ajayi is supported in the projects by her partners, Dr. Lilian Ajayi-Ore, founder/ CEO Global Connections for Women Foundation, GC4W, based in the United States. and Mr Barry Baruwa from United Kingdom.
