The Lagos State Government, through the Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA), has launched a Livelihood Support Programme to benefit over 5,000 vulnerable individuals, including economically active but struggling residents, vulnerable youths, and women.
Mrs. Toyin Salami, Head of Disbursement Link Indicator (DL.1.3) at WAPA, disclosed that the initiative is part of the Nigeria Community Action for Resilience and Economic Stimulus (NCARES) DL.1.3 program. This program aims to provide financial and skill-building support to help beneficiaries sustain and grow their businesses.
The initiative leverages Lagos State’s social register, which contains over 25,000 names of poor and vulnerable residents. Beneficiaries must already be engaged in business to qualify. In addition to receiving business training, beneficiaries will be provided with a one-time grant paid directly into their bank accounts to further support their ventures.
To date, over 2,500 individuals have benefitted from the program in previous phases. The current phase aims to double this figure by reaching 5,000 beneficiaries.
During the two-day training event, **Mrs. Saudat Salami, a facilitator in the Coker Aguda Local Council Development Area, emphasized that a key challenge for many small and medium enterprises (SMEs) is the lack of proper entrepreneurship skills. She highlighted that having business skills is essential for success, even if individuals possess technical abilities in their fields.
Mrs. Salami also encouraged the participants to formalize their businesses by registering them, practicing bookkeeping, and leveraging social media for marketing. Additionally, she urged them to join associations and seek collaborations to unlock further opportunities for business growth.
This livelihood support program forms part of broader efforts by Lagos State to promote economic resilience and poverty alleviation among vulnerable populations.
