Balogun Omotoso Foundation Boosts Trading Power of 50 Esa-Oke Market Women, Traders, Others, With Cash Grants

By Our Staff Writer

The Balogun Omotoso Foundation is set to further boots the trading capacity of additional new group of 50 Market Women, traders, and other entrepreneurs in Esa-Oke by given them financial awards.
This financial grants, according to a released by the Balogun Edward Omotoso Foundation, is to supplement, further enhance and develop their businesses.
The statement added that the micro grants were being awarded as part of the Foundation’s Women Empowerment Programme.
Esa-Oke, in Obokun Local Government Area, Osun state, is the birthplace of the late Attorney General and Justice Minister of the Federation, Chief Bola Ige, among other luminaries.
The fifty market women were selected under the auspices of the Development Committee of the Esa-Oke Central Union (ECU).
Spearheading the selection process were the Iyaloja of Esa-Oke, Chief (Mrs) Mary Oke Adeyemi and TPL Ayodele Adediran, a former Lagos State Permanent Secretary and current Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Esa-Oke Renewal Initiative (ERI), who also represented the Foundation.
Seven of the 50 market women were recommended by the His Royal Majesty, Oba Adeyemi Akanbi Adediran, Atipa Owaji 11, Owamiran of Esa Oke Kingdom.
Their recommendations were formally approved by the Foundation President, High Chief Dr. Edward Omotoso, the Balogun of Esa-Oke Land.
It will be recalled that in 2024, the Balogun Omotoso Foundation gave similar grants to 106 Market Women in Esa Oke.
Moreover, earlier this year, the same Foundation gave Bursary awards to another set of fifty (50) Esa-Oke indigenes who were students in various Universities, colleges and other institutions of higher learning throughout Nigeria.
The student Bursary awards, which started several years ago, are managed by the Esa-Oke Education Committee.
In awarding the financial grants, Balogun Omotoso reiterated his constant request to the market women, traders, and other entrepreneurs, who were beneficiaries, to use the grants solely and exclusively for the purpose for which they are intended: “To enhance and promote their trades and businesses”.
The statement added that “the grants should not be spent on vain entertainment, clothes, burials, birthdays, marriages or other frivolities”.
Explaining the main objective of the Women Empowerment Programme, Balogun Omotoso said “Women are the pivot, the glues that hold families together”.
“They ensure that children are fed, clothed, groomed and sent off to school. They don’t go out on palm wine-or beer-drinking spree. Women, were largely the reason why families do well, communities do well, and towns do well”, he added.
Dr. Edward (Eddy) Omotoso, a retired senior United Nations diplomat, lawyer, journalist and author, was also previously a renowned columnist and writer in several major Nigerian newspapers, including the iconic Sunday Times, Daily Times, Nigerian Tribune, The Punch, Daily Sketch, Vanguard and Leadership newspapers.
He launched the Balogun Omotoso Charity Foundation several years ago, and was honoured with the high chieftaincy title of Balogun of Esa Oke land in 2024.