Osun State first lady commends Olori Janet Afolabi for supporting market women with interest free loans

Osun State First Lady, Kafayat Oyetola, has commended Olori Janet, CNN award winning journalist and Queen of Apomu kingdom for supporting Apomu market women with interest-free loans through Apomu Women Cooperative launched on October 2nd at the Palace hall in Apomu.

In her speech the first lady said ” l appreciate Olori Afolabi for her efforts at ensuring the take-off  of this project. I have no doubt that it would help to lift many women and homes out of poverty and enhance the standard of living in their homes.  I call on other communities in the state which may not have this type of economic development mechanism to emulate Apomu women by floating their own cooperative bodies.

Olori Janet said she initiated the project because “after Covid 19 lockdown many women were unable to resume their trading businesses.Many of them had spent their capital. A lot of them tried to borrow money from families,friends and neighbours but it was very difficult .To help these women start again  I came up with Apomu Women Cooperative as my flagship empowerment project to give interest free loans to market women to be paid back over five months”.

According to her, the women were randomly selected, shortlisted and interviewed by experts from LEAD Transformation Initiative. The first batch of the beneficiaries were announced at the event.

In her response Osun first lady, who was the Guest of Honour said she was “delighted to have attended the unveiling of Apomu Women cooperative.The importance of women cooperative at this period cannot be over emphasized .

She was accompanied to the event with a large entourage. Some of them were Deputy Governor’s wife, Commission for Women Affairs; wife of Secretary to State Government; wife of Commissioner for Finance; wife of APC State chairman; wife of Special Adviser on Local Government; wife of Special Adviser on Health and wife of Special Adviser on Education.

Others who attended the event were honourable Ayo Omidiran, former House of Representatives members; Majority leader, Osun state House of Assembly, the local government chairmen of Irewole, Isokan and Irewole North East LCDA, Mr and Mrs Femi and Kemi Titilayo, Founder and Directors of LEAD Transformation Initiative.

The event had over 500 women in attendance. The Iyaloja of Apomuland, who is the market women leader said “this is the first time a project like this is launched in Apomu”.

Apomu is the headquarters of Isokan Local Government of Osun state. It was one of the earliest towns that made up the old oyo Empire. It was founded in the 16th century.