Kogi Youth Grant: Ododo Orders Follow-Up on Beneficiaries »

Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, has directed the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development to establish effective monitoring and follow-up mechanisms for beneficiaries of the Kogi Youth Entrepreneurship and Business Grant Programme.

The governor gave the directive as the youth entrepreneurship and business grant programme commenced in Lokoja, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to helping young people develop businesses and become job creators.

Ododo, who was represented at the event by the Secretary to the Kogi State Government, Folashade Ayoade Arike, said the initiative was designed to strengthen the productive capacity of young people in the state.

Ayoade urged beneficiaries to use the grants responsibly and regard the intervention as an opportunity to build sustainable businesses rather than simply as financial assistance.

“Please and please make use of these grants. You were lucky to have somebody to say thank you and to help you. Please make good use of it,” she told the beneficiaries.

She also encouraged the young entrepreneurs not to be discouraged by the current size of their businesses or their circumstances, noting that successful enterprises could emerge from humble beginnings.

“Where you’re starting does not matter. It is where God is taking you to,” Ayoade said, urging the beneficiaries to remain focused, passionate and committed to their goals.

The SSG further stressed that government’s responsibility should not end with the presentation of the grants. She directed the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development to monitor the beneficiaries and encourage them as their businesses develop.

“Don’t just give these grants and close your eyes. Follow up on what they have achieved and encourage them,” she said.

Earlier, the Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Monday Aridojo Anyebe, described the programme as an investment in the human capacity and economic future of Kogi State, rather than merely a grant scheme.

Anyebe said young people in Kogi were already demonstrating creativity in areas including agriculture, fashion, technology and food businesses, but required an enabling environment to turn their ideas into viable enterprises.

According to him, the programme would expose participants to business development, financial management, marketing, customer acquisition and responsible capital management.

He emphasised the importance of building businesses around solutions to real-world problems, noting that “a successful business does not merely sell a product; it solves a problem.”

The commissioner urged beneficiaries to apply the knowledge acquired through the programme, use the grants wisely and take advantage of mentorship opportunities.

He said the broader objective was to develop entrepreneurs capable of creating employment and contributing to the economic development of Kogi State.

“An idea can change a life. A business can change a family. An entrepreneur can change a community. And a generation of empowered young entrepreneurs can change an entire state,” Anyebe said.