2020: IEYDA empowers 3,000 people with tools, others worth N25m

By Ahmed Ajikobi
Ilorin Emirates Youth Development Associations said it has empowered more than 3,000 people in the five Local Government Areas in the Ilorin Emirate.
The five Local Governments are Ilorin West, Ilorin East, Ilorin South, Asa and Moro.
This was disclosed by President of the association, Abdullahi Babatunde in an interview with our reporter at the weekend.
According to him the association empowered beneficiaries with working tools, distributed pallative food items, relief materials, Ramadan food items, gave out scholarships among others worth 25 million naira last year.
He further said that it is a tradition of the association to empower people at the beginning of the year, adding that the event for this year would hold on 11th February.
“We empower the less privileged and widows, give working tools to artisans as well as give start up capital to petty traders.
“Along the line COVID-19 came and we distributed pallatives such as rice, beans, vegetable oil among other things for people in all the Local Governments under the Emirate. For Ramadan too, we distributed food items to Muslims.
Also speaking, the National Publicity Secretary, Muhammed Uthman Jaguma also buttressed the points of the President adding that the association also empower people who have acquired skills but have no capital to start up their businesses.
He said no fewer than 80 people in this category have been provided with working tools and cash.
“Some students were given scholarships for ICT programme and they were issued certificate.
He added that the association played major role during the COVID-19 lockdown by catering for welfare of people within Ilorin Emirate and in the area of sensitisation.
Jaguma further said that the association also sponsored the reunion marriage for the blue- eyed woman under the supervision of Emir of Ilorin in collaboration with FOMWAN and Criterion organization.
“During the 25th anniversary of Emir of Ilorin in November over 1,000 people benefited between 10,000 to 20,000 naira for petty trading. They include the aged, widows among others. We also gave out 15 sewing machines to tailors, 20 grinding machines were given out to twenty people. Five cobbbling machines to cobblers, 20 computer desk top for the 20 people who benefited from the ICT training.
Others are one photocopier, one vulcanizing machine, fabricating machine, Tiling machine.
“All these were given to beneficiaries across the five local Government in Ilorin.
“The association has embarked on motorized bore hole water project for Asa and Moro and two other local government in Ilorin.”
On the plans for 2021, he said the association has proposed to establish ICT centres across the five Local Governments in the Ilorin Emirate as well as embark on commercial agriculture.
He appealed government to assist the group by training youths of Ilorin Emirates on skills acquisition and empowered them with working tools.