The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Melutia Ogunremi has said that over 15,000 youths and women in the state have benefitted from the ministry's Economic Empowerment Scheme. 

Mrs Ogunremi made this declaration during the Convocation ceremony of year 2022/2023 Batch A and Matriculation ceremony of year  2022/2023 Batch B of Women Development Training Center, Oke Ilewo, Abeokuta.

 She said "over the years, vocational skill acquisition has been identified as one of the ways of creating wealth and it is not a grin saying that people who has gone through vocational training became successful individual in the society". 

The PS added that the empowerment program was aimed at making life more meaningful to it's beneficiaries by making them self reliance and sufficient thereby enhancing their socio-economic status. 

She thereafter enjoined the students to ensure that the knowledge acquired should be productively used, thereby eradicating poverty in the state. 

On the part of the Director, Women Empowerment Servics in charge of the Scheme, Mrs Wonuola Kazeem, she encouraged the students to seek for new opportunities having been in so much rigor and efforts to acquire the skill. 

Mrs Kazeem noted that the ministry did not only train the students but it also empowered the trainees with start up tools including hair dryers, hair dressing machines, sewing machines, catering equipments among other equipments. 

Aminat Olatunbi one of the beneficiaries, said the empowerment program was more worthwhile as it was put in place to make them economically self  dependent and self reliance.

Olatunbi said she and other trainees would maximize the opportunities and advantage given to them.