Benin City — Lift Above Poverty Organisation (LAPO), has begun a monthly donation of food items to vulnerable persons in Edo State.
The organisation is making the distribution through Ehi Centre for Social and Economic Development, a non-governmental body it floated to handle such humanitarian gesture.
Speaking at the inauguration of the centre in Benin City, Founder of LAPO/Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Godwin Ehigiamusoe, said the initiative is aimed at providing relief to the vulnerable as well as help scaleup small businesses.
He said: "We are a human development organisation committed to enhancing the quality of life through enterprise development and support for vulnerable members of the society."
According to him, "The coming of the Ehi Centre is not only timely but also relevant to address the current national challenges.
"While the government is addressing the economic challenges with a set of policies and reforms, the vulnerable members of the society require support to be able to meet their basic needs.
"Ehi Centre will be providing some food items to selected persons on a regular basis.
"Care will be taken by using eligibility criteria to ensure that food items are only given to those who truly need them", adding however, that beneficiaries shall not be on the programme forever but will be made to graduate out of the programme through establishment of enterprise development that would enable entrepreneurs scale up their businesses as well as jobs creation."
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The LAPO boss also noted that business seminars would be organised to focus on business management, business plans and budget, and business growth for the beneficiaries
On his part, Chairman of the occasion, Dr Matie Obazee, Founder of Echos Hospital, while noting that entrepreneurship was a model for Nigeria's economic development, advised that Nigeria should harness its potentials of growing its economy via helping young entrepreneurs scaleup their businesses.
"Ehi Centre is the new milestone to happen in Nigeria. Translating small businesses to big businesses is a step that will take the nation to a greater height", Obazee declared.
Mr, George Omondiagbe, Executive Director, Next Generation, a NGO, commended the Ehi Centre gesture, calling it laudable.
Omondiagbe noted that such gestures were needed at a time when the country was going through economic challenges.
He added that his organisation had benefited from LAPO's capacity development and donation of office equipment.
Earlier, Executive Director of Ehi Centre for Social and Economic Development, Ms Tessa Anota, said 50 persons are currently benefiting from the programme for October with plans to increase the number of beneficiaries in coming months.
Anota said that the safety net programme included provision of food, clothing and support for medication, calling on Nigerians to support the initiative.
