As individuals and businesses continue to count their losses, occasioned by the recent #EndSARS protest in some parts of the country, more than 2,500 owners, affected by the crisis, in Lagos, have applied to the Lagos State Recovery Fund for Looted Businesses to help get their businesses back on their feet again.
The state governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, made this disclosure at the closing ceremony of this year’s Lagos International Trade Fair, organised by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), in Lagos, over the weekend.
Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by the state’s Deputy Governor, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, stated that part of the efforts of the state government at mitigating some of the losses, suffered by businesses in the state, during the crisis, was the setting up of the Lagos Recovery Fund for Looted Businesses, a few weeks ago.
This, he added, would go a long way in helping many businesses in the state affected by the crisis, to quickly put the ugly incident behind them.
While expressing the state government’s sympathy to affected business owners, the governor, assured that the state government would continue to do everything within its powers to create an enabling environment, by placing a high premium on infrastructural development, for businesses to thrive.
The governor also added that the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund had started reaching out to stakeholders and concerned business owners and operators of vandalised or looted properties.
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“More than 2,500 business owners and operators have applied to the Lagos Recovery Fund for Looted Businesses.
“We share the pains of the victims and promise to do all we can, through some of the measures we have initiated including the Trust Fund that was inaugurated a couple of weeks ago, to facilitate the recovery process and help get the businesses back on their feet again,” Sanwo-Olu stated.
According to him, in order to address the issue of unemployment among youths in the state, the state government had also initiated a six-month internship programme for 4000 unemployed graduates, with each intern receiving a monthly stipend during the programme, as well as the opportunity of acquiring sustainable enterprise skills.
While commending LCCI for the successful hosting of the 34th edition of the fair, the governor noted that the event had continued to provide the platform for businesses to network for greater value delivery through improved productive capacity and creation of new products.
The President, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mrs Toki Mabogunje, expressed the Chamber’s gratitude to the state government for its support towards organising a hitch-free event.
She also expressed delight that despite the challenges of logistics and COVID-19 pandemic threat, the Chamber had been able to make this year’s fair a huge success.
Over 2,500 business owners affected by #EndSARS protest ― Sanwo-Olu