Abiola Arogundade, the Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Technical, Vocational, and Entrepreneurship Education (SSAP-TVEE), has provided 80 solar kiosks produced in Nigeria to Nigerian entrepreneurs.
This was revealed when the president’s aide presented the kiosk and N500,000 to Tijani Oluwatobiloba, a single mother and hairdresser, over the weekend.
According to Assistant Chief Information Officer Henry David, Arogundade made the donation to improve her business and livelihood at an event in Abuja’s Wuse Shopping Plaza.
It stated that this comes after Arogundade already gave N100 million to 120 successful beneficiaries and participants in the UNLOCK training programme.
The initiative, it stated, also extended support to 80 entrepreneurs through the distribution of solar kiosks to programme beneficiaries positively impacting numerous aspiring business owners.
Speakings at the event, Arogundade emphasised that the actions were to bolster technical, vocational and entrepreneurship skills throughout Nigeria, underscoring the significance of assisting individuals with skills but also resources to develop their businesses.
“We are developing different programmes together and one of the programmes is empowering people that already have skills but cannot develop their skills or take their skills to the next level.
“So we thought about training those that need the skills and supporting some that already have the skills but need funding and those who have skills but don’t have physical location, like our daughter here, Amina with solar kiosks,” Arogundade said.
She recalled that it was the story by the Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Onyejeocha, about Tijani that informed the decision to give her the empowerment package.
The SSAP-TVEE said artisans had been trained by her office to build the kiosks on site and maintain them.
“They (artisans) will be coming from time to time for routine check on the kiosk and maintain it if the need arises, most especially the batteries,” she stressed.
She further added, “The kiosk is owned by the beneficiary, who has the freedom to relocate it as she wishes without any limitations. Anyone willing to get trained can write to our office and we will immediately include you on our schedule for such training”.
In her remarks, the Minister of Women Affairs, Kennedy-Onyejeocha emphasised the challenging circumstances faced by the beneficiary, who had endured significant hardship while braiding hair to support her two children as a single parent.
Lauding the decision of the SSAP-TVEE for the decision, the minister expressed gratitude to President Tinubu, expressing his commitment to the welfare of the poor.
Tijani, the recipient of the gesture also expressed her profound gratitude to the president, the minister and the senior special assistant at the event.