Key points
- More than 300 women in Edo South receive grants under an empowerment programme.
- Okpebholo-Anani urges beneficiaries to treat the funds as seed capital and reinvest in their businesses.
- LAPO Microfinance Bank advises beneficiaries to save and invest the grants in income-generating ventures.
Main story
The Edo Government has distributed micro-business grants to more than 300 women in the Edo South Senatorial District as part of efforts to improve household incomes and promote economic self-reliance.
The Coordinator of the Office of the Edo Governor’s Wife, Mrs Edesili Okpebholo-Anani, said the intervention was aimed at helping women expand existing businesses and create greater economic opportunities for their families.
She spoke on Monday in Benin while addressing beneficiaries of the programme, themed, “Micro Business Empowerment: Empowering Women, Strengthening Families, Building a Prosperous Edo”.
Okpebholo-Anani said many women in the state were already engaged in trading, agriculture, food processing, fashion, catering, crafts and other small businesses but often lacked the modest capital required to expand.
She said the grants were intended to provide that additional support and enable beneficiaries to increase their stock, improve their services, acquire equipment or reach more customers.
According to her, the initiative reflects the administration’s focus on economic empowerment and inclusive development through direct interventions that encourage productivity and self-reliance.
She urged beneficiaries to use the funds strictly for their businesses and maintain proper financial discipline.
This, she said, included keeping business records, separating personal spending from business capital and reinvesting profits to sustain growth.
Okpebholo-Anani also advised the women to continue developing their business knowledge and to prioritise their health by getting adequate rest and undergoing regular medical checks.
She said maintaining their health was important because their families depended on them.
Mrs Vivian Amoen, Zonal Head of Business, South-South 1 Zone, LAPO Microfinance Bank Ltd., also urged the beneficiaries to protect the grants from unnecessary spending.
Amoen advised them to put the money into ventures capable of generating returns rather than spending it on items that would provide only temporary satisfaction.
She also encouraged the women to develop a savings culture and set aside money towards their children’s education.
“When you invest in your children, you won’t suffer in old age,” she said.
Amoen urged the beneficiaries to regard the funds as capital that should generate further income rather than money to be consumed.
“Ensure you don’t eat up your seed; invest it in your business,” she said.
Some beneficiaries expressed appreciation for the intervention, saying the funds would help them strengthen their businesses.
Mrs Philomena Olonton, a beneficiary from Egor Local Government Area, said the support would assist her provision business.
Mrs Tina Ehigiator of Ovia North Local Government Area said she planned to invest her grant in farming.
Another beneficiary, Mrs Gift Osaretin of Ovia South-West Local Government Area, also expressed appreciation for the intervention.
The issues
Small businesses provide an important source of income for many women, but limited access to capital can restrict their ability to increase stock, acquire equipment or expand their customer base.
The Edo intervention is therefore focused on providing relatively small amounts of capital to women who are already engaged in economic activities.
However, the impact of such grants will depend largely on how beneficiaries deploy the funds. Business record-keeping, reinvestment and savings could determine whether the intervention produces sustained income rather than short-term relief.
What’s being said
Okpebholo-Anani urged beneficiaries to see the grants as seed capital and use them to strengthen their businesses.
Amoen similarly cautioned against spending the money on non-essential items, urging the women to invest and save for longer-term benefits.
Beneficiaries said the funds would support businesses ranging from provisions to farming.
What’s next
Beneficiaries are expected to deploy the grants towards their respective businesses and use the additional capital to expand their activities.
The success of the intervention will ultimately depend on whether the support helps the beneficiaries increase their income and sustain their enterprises.
Bottom line
The Edo Government is using micro-business grants to support more than 300 women in Edo South, with the aim of strengthening household incomes and encouraging economic independence.
The immediate challenge is ensuring that the grants become productive capital rather than one-off financial assistance.
