Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to youth empowerment and entrepreneurship with the commencement of the Kogi Youth Entrepreneurship and Business Grant Programme in Lokoja.
Represented at the event by the Secretary to the State Government, Mrs Folashade Ayoade Arike, the governor said the initiative was designed to strengthen the productive capacity of young people and support them in building sustainable businesses.
Mrs Ayoade urged the beneficiaries to utilise the grants responsibly, stressing that the intervention was intended to provide a foundation for viable enterprises rather than serve as mere financial assistance.
“Please and please make use of these grants. You were lucky to have somebody to say thank you and to help you. Please make good use of it,” she said.
The SSG also encouraged the beneficiaries to remain focused despite their present circumstances, noting that many successful businesses started on a small scale.
She urged them to remain committed to their dreams, emphasising that their current situation should not determine their future.
“Where you’re starting does not matter. It is where God is taking you to,” Mrs Ayoade said.
She further directed the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development to put in place effective monitoring and follow-up mechanisms to track the progress of beneficiaries and ensure that the grants achieve their intended objectives.
“Don’t just give these grants and close your eyes. Follow up on what they have achieved and encourage them,” she directed.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Hon. Monday Aridojo Anyebe, described the programme as an investment in the human and economic capital of Kogi State rather than simply a grant scheme.
Anyebe noted that young Kogites were already making significant contributions in areas such as agriculture, fashion, technology, food businesses and other sectors but required the right support and enabling environment to turn their ideas into sustainable enterprises.
He explained that the programme would expose participants to essential areas of business development, including financial management, marketing, customer acquisition and responsible capital management.
According to him, beneficiaries must focus on solving real-life problems through their businesses, stressing that sustainable enterprises were built around solutions to identified needs.
The commissioner urged the beneficiaries to apply the knowledge acquired, utilise the grants judiciously and embrace mentorship as they develop their businesses.
He said the ultimate goal of the programme was to produce entrepreneurs and employers capable of creating jobs, strengthening families and contributing meaningfully to the economic development of Kogi State.
“An idea can change a life. A business can change a family. An entrepreneur can change a community. And a generation of empowered young entrepreneurs can change an entire state,” Anyebe declared.