TheCable

Kafayat Oyetola, Osun state first lady, has commended Janet Afolabi, the olori (queen) of Apomu town, for supporting market women with interest-free loans.

Speaking at an event attended by over 500 women in the town, the governor’s wife said the initiative would lift many women and homes out of poverty.

“I’m delighted to have attended the unveiling of Apomu Women Cooperative. The importance of women cooperative at this period cannot be over-emphasised,” Kafayat said.

“I appreciate Olori Afolabi for her efforts at ensuring the take-off of this project. I have no doubt that it would help to lift many women and homes out of poverty and enhance the standard of living in their homes.

“I call on other communities in the state which may not have this type of economic development mechanism to emulate Apomu women by floating their own cooperative bodies.”

Also speaking at the event, the queen said she initiated the project to help the women overcome the financial challenges they encountered as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“After COVID-19 lockdown, many women were unable to resume their trading businesses. Many of them had spent their capital. A lot of them tried to borrow money from families, friends and neighbours but it was very difficult,” Afolabi said.

“To help these women start again, I came up with Apomu Women Cooperative as my flagship empowerment project to give interest free loans to market women to be paid back over five months.”