In a determined push to tackle poverty and promote self-reliance, Oluwole Foundation has empowered 70 individuals with tools and financial support worth N42 million during its 2025 empowerment programme in Ilorin.
Held at the Cherubim and Seraphim Movement Church District Headquarters, the event marked another chapter in the foundation’s ongoing efforts to support artisans, traders and agro-entrepreneurs across Nigeria.
Chairman of the Foundation, Pastor Ademola Popoola, disclosed that the beneficiaries received items tailored to their professions, including deep freezers for food vendors, cutting machines for aluminum window fabricators, and agricultural inputs for poultry and crop farmers.
“The goal is not just to hand out equipment, but to support people with what they truly need and ensure they are mentored to build something meaningful from it,” Pastor Popoola said.
He explained that the initiative goes beyond material assistance, focusing on building a mindset of diligence, accountability and entrepreneurial growth among Nigerians.
“Many people still see empowerment as a form of national cake.
“But like the Bible says, a lazy man will claim there’s a lion outside just to avoid work. We want to change that attitude,” he added.
The Foundation’s past initiatives have yielded about 70 per cent success, and this year’s edition aims to push that figure to 85 per cent.
According to Popoola, the long-term target is to empower 700 people in 10 years, with the hope that these beneficiaries will, in turn, uplift others.
“If others take this model seriously, we can drastically reduce suffering and dependency in our society,” he said.
This year’s programme also featured a motivational session led by a university lecturer who shared his story of surviving a prolonged period without pay during a national crisis.
Popoola said the choice of speaker was deliberate, to show people the power of resilience and strategic use of limited resources.
“We wanted someone whose life is a testimony. People listen differently when someone has walked the path.
“His experience is proof that you can thrive even in hard times,” he explained.
Popoola charged beneficiaries to treat the support as a seed, not a handout.
“It is not your right to be helped. If God gives you a chance, grab it with both hands.
“Remember the widow in the Bible who had just a little oil—she worked with it, and it multiplied,” he advised.
He warned against misusing the assistance for frivolous expenses.
“Some people spend empowerment money on birthday parties or expensive phones.
‘That’s not what it’s meant for. Use it to grow, so you too can help others,” he said.
He also called on government at all levels to back such grassroots initiatives by creating a more secure and enabling environment for small businesses.
“Our security system is overstretched. The population has outgrown the current personnel strength.
“Federal, state and local governments must urgently invest in community policing and support local enforcement structures,” he stated.
On healthcare, Popoola urged government to improve the National Health Insurance Scheme to ensure wider coverage and access to quality healthcare.
“In the UK, people don’t worry about treatment because insurance is effective.
“Nigeria must strengthen its health insurance and invest in more doctors, nurses and well-equipped facilities, especially in rural areas,” he said.
Also speaking at the event, Pastor Tunde Ogunbiyi, Provost of the Orimolade Theological Institute, stressed the importance of work ethic and responsibility.
Speaking on the theme “Work and Earn It,” he linked rising insecurity in Nigeria to hunger and joblessness.
He appealed to governments to recognise the vital role of traditional rulers in community policing.
“Our local leaders understand their people. Let’s give them defined roles in maintaining peace and order. Hunger fuels crime, and we must attack it by creating opportunities,” Pastor Ogunbiyi said.
He commended the Oluwole Foundation for its consistent support for the poor and urged wealthy Nigerians and corporate organisations to emulate the gesture.
“Government alone cannot solve poverty. Let those who have, help those who don’t.
“That’s the only way we can reduce hunger and transform lives,” he concluded.
With another 70 individuals empowered in 2025, the Foundation believes that if this cycle continues consistently, it could spark a ripple effect of growth and self-reliance across Nigerian communities. (vitalnewsngr.com)
