From Michael Ofulue, Osogbo
Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, has restated his administration’s strong commitment to women empowerment, describing it as a fundamental pillar for sustainable development in the state.
Speaking at the closing ceremony of a women empowerment training programme organised by the Springtime Development Foundation (SDF) in Ede on Thursday, Governor Adeleke—represented by the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Children and Social Welfare, Mrs Ayobola Fadeyi-Awolowo—affirmed that the government is “not joking” about uplifting women across the state.
“Our government, since coming on board, has prioritised women empowerment as part of our development agenda, and we have remained consistent. Today’s distribution of ₦50,000 each to 500 beneficiaries is a testament to our administration’s dedication to this cause,” Adeleke said.
The training programme, which focused on sustainable agriculture and agribusiness, is part of the Veronica Adeleke Women Empowerment Scheme, an initiative of the Springtime Development Foundation. Participants were trained in areas such as organic vegetable farming, cocoyam cultivation, snail breeding, and poultry farming.
Chairman of the Foundation, Dr Deji Adeleke, represented by his deputy, Mr Banji Adesuyi, explained that the initiative is designed to promote economic independence among women.
“This is the first of its kind in Osun State. We have 500 women from the 30 Local Government Areas and the Area Office in this phase. Our goal is to reach 1,000 women, and we are committed to achieving that,” Adesuyi said.
He further noted that future participants would be selected from different women groups across the state to ensure broad and inclusive impact.
The event concluded with the disbursement of startup funds and the distribution of farming tools and materials to the beneficiaries, many of whom expressed gratitude for the opportunity to acquire practical skills that could transform their lives and communities.