The Oyo State Government, on Tuesday, reiterated its commitment to supporting residents to rise above poverty and attain prosperity by catering to their welfare and empowering them to achieve self-sufficiency.
The Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Inclusion, Mrs Toyin Balogun, stated this at the weekend when her ministry commenced the distribution of N20 million livelihood support grants to victims of market fire outbreaks.
According to the commissioner, Governor Seyi Makinde-led administration has consistently matched its words with action by prioritising the welfare of residents and supporting them economically through various initiatives.
Balogun disclosed that beneficiaries of the grants, drawn from Gbaremu, Sango, Oke-Itunu, and Oranyan markets—where fire outbreaks had devastated businesses—received a share of the N20 million grant approved by the governor.
She added that this was just the first phase, noting that victims of fire outbreaks in other markets would also benefit from the intervention. Beyond financial support, the government has organised training sessions for market women on fire prevention and mitigation.
She said: “Basically, this event is just another dimension of the usual way the Oyo State Government shows concern for the welfare of the residents of the state.
“You are all aware that a couple of months back, there was a spate of fire incidents across the state. We observed through our findings that it was not only the direct victims who were affected economically; each of the victims had a minimum of 10 to 20 dependents relying on them.
“This tells us that those incidents had far-reaching economic implications. Governor Makinde, being a welfarist leader, decided to support these victims and restore them to economic viability.
“We want them to regain self-sufficiency and enable them to take care of others who depend on them for succour. As a result, our governor prioritized this intervention, gave expedited approval, and allocated a reasonable amount to support all the victims of the fire outbreaks.
“This is just the first phase of the intervention. We are not only trying to get them back on their feet but also ensuring that these incidents are prevented in the future. To this end, we have organised training sessions for women in the state on how to mitigate and prevent fire outbreaks in our markets.
“This government is keen on empowering citizens to enable them to achieve self-sufficiency, and this program exemplifies that. In this first tranche, we have disbursed N20 million to the beneficiaries, and it is going to be an ongoing effort. We will ensure that all affected markets and victims are reached.”
Also speaking, a former Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Senator Monsurat Sunmonu, described Makinde’s administration as a government of the masses.
She said: “We are giving these grants to victims of market fire outbreaks to support them to make a living. You can all see that this is a government of the masses. It is always ready to assist our people.
“We have to give thanks to God, Governor Seyi Makinde, and the commissioner for organizing this programme.”
A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Babatunde Tijani, noted that the governor sympathised with the victims and decided to support them because his administration is pro-people.
Responding on behalf of the market associations, the Iyaloja of Ibadan North Local Government Area, Chief (Mrs.) Borode Omotayo Bolaji, commended the government for the timely intervention.
She said: “It is a great thing to me because I was not even expecting up to that amount at all. Also, it was not only our market that received money; other markets were also given support. We truly appreciate what the governor has done for the victims.
“The N5 million has already been deposited into the account of the person representing my market, and it will be disbursed any moment from now.”
The event was attended by market leaders and top government functionaries.