By Ngozi Onyeakusi — The Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF) has embarked on a comprehensive community engagement across the Lagos Divisions to share its impact and update on its various programmes, with residents and small business owners in the State. The grassroots engagement which is scheduled to take place within the IBILE (Ikorodu, Badagry, Ikeja, Lagos Island and Epe) divisions, is hinged on its core values of transparency, integrity accountability and inclusiveness.

The events will be led by members of the Board of Trustees, the Executive Secretary, Akintunde Oyebode and hosted by community leaders, trade union councils, youth organisations, local government officials, market women and the small business operators within the select locations.

Mr. Oyebode is expected to give a comprehensive update on how the team has actualised the Fund’s mandate of providing access to funding for small businesses to create wealth and employment; equip young people with relevant skills to make them globally competitive and well positioned to secure sustainable employment and providing support and funding to innovators and businesses in the vibrant technology ecosystem in Lagos. Conversely, the LSETF team will use the platforms to get first-hand account and feedback from the residents on their experience in accessing the Fund’s programmes.

Speaking on the planned engagement, Akintunde Oyebode, said residents should take advantage of the grassroots engagement to learn more about the Fund’s programmes. “The LSETF team prides itself in being a people-oriented institution. We were set up to provide entrepreneurship and employment opportunities for Lagos residents. We understand that there is no better way to test the effectiveness of our programme than to initiate an intimate engagement with the communities for us to share the successes and challenges, whilst getting feedback from the beneficiaries”, said Mr. Oyebode.

“I enjoin residents and small businesses within the IBILE division to join us in this exemplary interaction”, he added.

A Lagos State Government initiative, the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF) was created as part of its commitment to boost the Lagos economy through job creation, leverage and access to finance for Micro, Small, Medium Enterprise (MSMEs) and Small and Medium Scale Enterprise (SMEs) operating in the State. The Fund is targeted at registered Lagos residents, irrespective of their political leaning, religion, gender or tribal affiliations.