As a means of boosting small scale businesses across Ogun State and improve the financial status of the women, a non- Governmental Organisation (NGO), Paseda Legacy Foundation, on Monday began the disbursement of N10 million loan to over 4,000 women in the State.
The loan was disbursed through one of the Foundation’s Women Wing, Paseda Women Forum (PWF).
According to the President of the forum, Mrs. Folayemi Layeni stressed that, the loan empowerment was to provide succour and assistance to market women who are traders in the State, irrespective of their political affiliations.
The Chief Promoter and the Founder of the Foundation is Otunba Rotimi Paseda, the Ogun State Gubernatorial candidate of Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) in 2015.
Mrs. Olayemi Layeni who spoke at the flag-off ceremony, held at the Foundation’s Secretariat in Abeokuta, the State capital, disclosed that the zero-interest and guarantor-free soft loan was targeted at Small-scale business owners to boost their businesses.
She explained that the loan scheme was to lessen the burden of the economic downturn on the beneficiaries, stressing that the loan was given on merit to qualified applicants and enjoined all beneficiaries not to see the gesture as a “national cake”, but as an avenue of alleviating poverty in the society.
Layeni noted that scheme was designed for easy repayment. As a result, all beneficiaries must act within the confines of the terms and conditions, to allow other beneficiaries benefit from the scheme.
One of the beneficiaries, Mrs. Asabi Sowemimo while speaking to journalists, praised the Foundation for the kind gesture, stressing that the loan would go a long way in enhancing the financial status of women in the State.
Sowemimo said, “This money was given to us to trade and we are going to use it judiciously. The loan will no doubt enhance our financial status, most importantly, it will help us to be financially independent and we won’t have to be liabilities to our husbands again.”
Also, Mrs. Bukayo Agbona, a petty trader from Ijebu North local government said ” I love this and it will will help me in my business. God will bless Paseda for doing this.”