A federal lawmaker from Kogi State has disbursed ₦25 million in startup capital to 500 beneficiaries across Okene and Ogori-Magogo, in a move aimed at strengthening grassroots entrepreneurship and expanding small business activity within the constituency.
The financial support followed a capacity-building workshop and sensitisation programme targeted at women and young people, with a focus on practical skills and business knowledge to promote self-reliance. Organisers of the programme said participants were taken through hands-on training designed to help them start new ventures or scale existing micro and small businesses, before the funds were released to support their next steps.
The empowerment exercise was described as part of a broader economic intervention strategy to address unemployment, improve household incomes and stimulate local economic activity. According to aides to the lawmaker, the ₦25 million disbursement was structured to ensure wide reach, with each beneficiary receiving startup capital tailored to support small-scale trading, services and other informal sector businesses common in the area.
At the event, a representative of the lawmaker told beneficiaries that the initiative was a continuation of earlier assurances made to constituents that economic empowerment and development programmes would remain a priority. He said the scheme was not a one-off gesture but part of a deliberate plan to improve livelihoods and create sustainable income opportunities across communities in the constituency.
He further noted that additional empowerment phases were being planned and urged residents who were not captured in the current round to remain hopeful, stressing that future interventions would accommodate more beneficiaries as resources allow. The lawmaker, he added, remains focused on protecting the interests of the constituency and translating representation at the National Assembly into tangible benefits at the grassroots.
Beneficiaries welcomed the initiative, describing it as timely support for small business owners grappling with rising costs and limited access to capital. Many said the funds would help them stabilise their businesses, invest in tools and inventory, and increase their earning capacity. They also expressed confidence that the intervention reflected a genuine commitment to inclusive development and economic empowerment.
For local MSMEs, the scheme provides much-needed relief in an environment where access to finance remains a major constraint. By combining skills training with startup capital, the programme is expected to improve business survival rates and contribute to job creation and economic activity within Okene and Ogori-Magogo, reinforcing the role of small enterprises as drivers of grassroots development.
