Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu says the Lagos State Government has empowered over 40,000 residents through the Micro Enterprise Support Initiative, providing business tools to promote entrepreneurship, economic inclusion and poverty reduction.
Rather than relying on social intervention programmes alone, the Lagos State Government is intensifying its strategy of empowering residents with practical business tools to create wealth, generate employment and reduce poverty across the state.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu disclosed that more than 40,000 Lagos residents have benefited from the Micro Enterprise Support Initiative (MESI) over the past seven years, describing the programme as one of his administration’s most impactful economic inclusion initiatives.
Speaking during the 2026 Micro Enterprise Support Initiative (MESI) Empowerment Programme, organised by the Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation at the Blue Roof, Agidingbi, Ikeja, the governor said the initiative reflects his administration’s commitment to creating opportunities that enable residents to become financially independent.
Hundreds of beneficiaries received various business equipment ranging from sewing and industrial stitching machines to catering utensils, photography equipment, barbering kits, hairdressing tools, agricultural processing machines, deep freezers, grinding machines, popcorn machines and food items for traders.
According to the governor, the empowerment programme is deliberately designed to equip beneficiaries with the resources needed to establish or expand small businesses capable of generating sustainable income.
He explained that supporting artisans, traders, women, youths and other small business owners remains central to the implementation of the state’s THEMES+ Agenda, which prioritises inclusive economic growth and improved livelihoods.
Governor Sanwo-Olu said the programme demonstrates that government intervention should focus on creating opportunities rather than encouraging dependence.
He said:
“Today, we are reaffirming a promise this administration has consistently kept: that governance must improve lives, create opportunities and empower our people to achieve their full potential. The Micro Enterprise Support Initiative (MESI) is that promise in action, and another important milestone in our collective effort to build a Lagos where every hardworking resident has the opportunity to prosper.
“From the very first day of this administration, we made a commitment to build a Greater Lagos where no one is left behind. We promised to create opportunities, support businesses, empower our people and ensure that the dividends of democracy reach every community. Seven years on, our record speaks for itself: across every sector, we have remained focused on delivering practical results that improve the lives of Lagosians.
“The THEMES+ Agenda has been our roadmap for fulfilling those promises. It rests on the simple understanding that sustainable development is meaningful only when it reaches the grassroots. Whether in the heart of our commercial districts, in our rural communities or in the riverine areas, every resident deserves access to opportunities that improve their standard of living.
“The Micro Enterprise Support Initiative is one of the clearest expressions of this administration’s commitment to inclusive governance. It is more than the distribution of tools and equipment; it is the fulfilment of our promise to give our people the means to create wealth, build sustainable businesses, generate employment and achieve financial independence.”
The governor noted that enterprise development has become an essential pillar of Lagos State’s economic strategy because small and medium-sized businesses continue to contribute significantly to employment creation and local economic growth.
He added that providing residents with productive assets enables families to earn sustainable incomes while strengthening communities across the state.
Sanwo-Olu further emphasised that his administration has consistently matched its promises with practical action through investments in infrastructure, education, transportation, healthcare, security, technology and enterprise development.
He said these investments are all interconnected because economic growth can only be sustained when residents have access to opportunities that improve their standard of living.
Governor Sanwo-Olu stressed that his administration’s greatest achievement would not merely be measured by physical infrastructure but by the number of lives transformed through deliberate investments in people.
According to him, empowering residents with the right skills and business tools creates a lasting impact that extends beyond individual beneficiaries to families, communities and the wider economy.
He said:
“Over the last seven years, we have consistently demonstrated that our promises are backed by action. Through strategic investments in infrastructure, transportation, healthcare, education, technology, security, social protection and enterprise development, we have continued to build a Lagos that works for everyone. At the same time, we have deliberately invested in our people, because the greatest legacy of any government is not the projects it builds but the lives it transforms.
“This administration believes that true leadership is about creating opportunities, not dependency. Every empowerment package distributed today represents hope renewed, dreams restored and renewed confidence in the ability of our people to succeed through hard work and determination.
“As we continue to implement the THEMES+ Agenda, let me assure every Lagosian that this administration will remain focused on keeping its promises. We will continue to invest in our people, expand opportunities for small businesses, strengthen economic inclusion and ensure that the benefits of good governance reach every ward, every community and every household across Lagos State, so that we can continue to build a Lagos where opportunity is within everyone’s reach, enterprise is rewarded, hard work is encouraged, and prosperity is shared.”
The Governor also praised the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Mrs. Bolaji Dada, for successfully driving programmes that support the state’s poverty reduction and economic empowerment agenda.
He said initiatives such as the Micro Enterprise Support Initiative (MESI) continue to demonstrate how targeted government interventions can transform lives by helping beneficiaries establish viable businesses and become financially self-sufficient.
Addressing the beneficiaries, Governor Sanwo-Olu urged them to regard the equipment not merely as gifts but as productive assets capable of changing their economic fortunes.
He encouraged them to use the tools responsibly to expand their businesses, create jobs for others and contribute meaningfully to the development of their communities.
“Grow your businesses, create employment, support your families and become ambassadors of enterprise within your communities,” the Governor advised.
Earlier, the Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, described the empowerment programme as an important step in ensuring that participants benefit from both vocational training and access to start-up tools.
According to him, skills acquisition alone is insufficient without the equipment needed to begin productive work.
He therefore urged beneficiaries to take advantage of additional government support by registering with the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF), which provides financing opportunities to help entrepreneurs expand their businesses.
Dr. Hamzat noted that access to affordable financing remains one of the major challenges facing small enterprises, adding that the LSETF was established to bridge that gap and encourage business growth across Lagos State.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Mrs. Bolaji Dada, reaffirmed the State Government’s commitment to improving the socio-economic well-being of residents, particularly women and vulnerable groups.
She explained that the ministry would continue to implement programmes that combine skills acquisition with economic empowerment, ensuring that beneficiaries possess both the knowledge and the tools required to build sustainable livelihoods.
According to her, empowering residents economically remains one of the most effective ways to reduce poverty and promote inclusive development.
Delivering a goodwill message, the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi, commended the Governor for sustaining people-focused programmes that directly impact grassroots communities.
He urged beneficiaries to maximise the opportunity by putting the equipment to productive use and demonstrating that government investments in citizens can yield positive economic outcomes.
Ojelabi reiterated the commitment of the administration to improving living standards and reducing poverty through practical empowerment initiatives.
Some beneficiaries who spoke during the event expressed appreciation to Governor Sanwo-Olu and the Lagos State Government for providing both vocational training and business equipment.
They described the programme as life-changing, noting that the empowerment initiative had given them renewed confidence to pursue entrepreneurship, improve their household incomes and contribute to the state’s economy.
Many also pledged to make effective use of the equipment to grow their businesses and, in the future, employ other Lagos residents.
The Micro Enterprise Support Initiative (MESI) has become one of Lagos State’s flagship empowerment programmes, targeting artisans, traders, youths and women with practical support aimed at promoting self-reliance rather than dependence on government assistance.
By combining vocational training with the distribution of business tools, the programme seeks to strengthen the state’s micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), which remain a vital driver of employment, innovation and economic growth.
With over 40,000 beneficiaries reached in the last seven years, the initiative reflects the Lagos State Government’s broader strategy of fostering inclusive economic development by equipping residents with the resources needed to build sustainable businesses and improve their standard of living.
Source: Lagos State Government
