Rotary Club of Falomo in Lagos State has empowered no fewer than 20 women, under the auspices of the Police Officers Wives Association (POWA), to boost their petty businesses.

The club said the yearly interest-free micro-credit scheme, worth N1 million, would enhance the businesses of the beneficiaries.

President of the Club, Mr. Tolulope Ogundipe, who spoke at the event held at Falomo, Ikoyi, Lagos, said the club decided to embark on the scheme to ensure that some of the police officers’ wives were economically empowered.

Also, the Service Project Director of Falomo Rotary Club, Mr. Ibrahim Sule, said: “The driving force behind the project is to empower the women so that they can have start-up funds for their businesses. We expect them to use the money wisely to the benefit of their families.”

Welfare Police of the Barracks, Mrs. Bello Folashade, commended the Club for the financial empowerment, promising that the money would be remitted promptly as agreed.

Similarly, the POWA Market Leader of the Barracks, Nkechi Ezeofor, said the empowerment would enhance the growth of their businesses.

Ogundipe further said: “The saying that “police is our friend,” is correct, however, in the Rotary Club of Falomo, we have gone a step further to include the wives of policemen as our friends too. In line with this, last year, the management of the club met and decided to introduce a micro-credit lending scheme to support the businesses of police officers’ wives.

“We approached the Falomo Police Barracks chapter of POWA and we had the first scheme rolled out in 2021 with 10 beneficiaries getting N50, 000 each. Following the success of the pioneer scheme, we decided that we would be increasing the fund each year. So, this year under my leadership, we have increased the portfolio to N1m with 20 beneficiaries. The beneficiaries got N50, 000 each and it has no interest.”

“We are fulfilling one of the seven areas of Rotary Club, which is economic empowerment. Rotary International has seven areas of focus and one of them is economic empowerment.

“Coincidentally, the month of October is marked as a month of economic empowerment and part of our way of celebrating that month is to empower these women. Phase one that we did last year revealed to us that we have Nigerians who are still sincere, who understand that money lent to them should be returned at due time.”