The lawmaker representing Ogun West Senatorial District and the Governorship candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Olamilekan Adeola (YAYI), has pledged to create an ‘Oloja Yayi’ Empowerment scheme that will empower 10,000 market traders in each of the three senatorial districts in Ogun State if he is elected governor in the 2027 elections.
Senator Adeola unveiled the ‘Oloja Yayi’ scheme at the fifth edition of the Market Women/Men Empowerment Programme for the Ogun East Senatorial District, held at the Ojude Oba Pavilion in Ijebu-Ode. The empowerment programme disbursed N75,000 each to 3,000 beneficiaries, totalling N225 million, to Ogun East market traders.
The Ogun East empowerment programme adds to the 3,000 market traders empowered in Ogun Central, and the 4,000 in Ogun West, bringing a total of N750 million disbursed to 10,000 beneficiaries across the state.
Senator Yayi emphasised that the money disbursed to the beneficiary market traders was a grant, and not a loan, with no repayment or interest required. He also appealed to the traders not to divert the funds for other personal purposes, but to use it strictly for their business to stimulate growth and expansion.
Senator Yayi further disclosed that favouritism was not a factor in selecting the market traders, stressing that none of the beneficiaries knew him personally beforehand.
Addressing the mammoth crowd at the Ojude-Oba Pavilion, Senator Adeola reaffirmed his commitment to supporting market women and men, whom he described as the backbone of the state’s economy and indispensable contributors to commerce, food distribution and community development.
He recalled that the market traders’ empowerment programme was first introduced in Ogun West Senatorial District during his 2023 senatorial campaign and was later expanded to Ogun Central and Ogun East following the success of its maiden edition.
According to the Senator, the current phase is being implemented in partnership with the National Productivity Centre (NPC), in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, aimed at boosting productivity, promoting entrepreneurship and strengthening micro, small and medium-scale enterprises at the grassroots.
Beyond direct grants, the Senator highlighted several infrastructure projects executed to improve the business environment, including the construction of 43 modern markets and other complementary projects across Ogun State in the last three-and-a-half years.
Within Ogun East Senatorial District, he listed the construction of ultra-modern markets in Abigi, Ogun Waterside Local Government Area, and the Mobalufon Trailer Park in Odogbolu Local Government Area. He further disclosed that numerous motorised and solar-powered boreholes have been provided across major markets, while solar-powered streetlights have also been installed to improve security and create a more conducive trading environment.
The Ogun East Market Women/Men Empowerment Programme was attended by an array of dignitaries, market leaders, market traders, political groups, and supporters.
Among those in attendance were the Secretary to the Ogun State Government, Tokunbo Talabi; the Ogun APC Deputy Governorship Candidate, Kudirat Balogun; a former Ogun State Deputy Governor, Yetunde Onanuga; a former lawmaker representing Ogun East, Senator Lekan Mustapha; the Iyaloja-General and Iyalaje of Ijebu land; the Babaloja-General and Babalaje of Ijebu land; and local government chairmen and councillors across the Ogun East Senatorial District.
