The Executive Chairman of Lagelu Local Government, Hon. Mudashiru Kamorudeen has distributed free-stand custom-branded umbrellas to a thousand of small business owners in the local government area in a major effort to support the informal sector.
The distribution exercise, coordinated by the council’s Department of Education and Social Services, took place on Tuesday in Iyana-Offa, the local government headquarters.
The free-stand umbrellas, emblazoned with the council’s logo are intended to shield traders and artisans from harsh sunlight and rainfall while they conduct their businesses in open markets across the area.
Speaking on the importance of the event, Hon. Kamorudeen praised the resilience of small business owners and said they were finally receiving the attention they deserve.
“Small business owners are hardworking, resilient, and are finally being treated right by this great administration,” the chairman stated.
He emphasised that small businesses remain the backbone of the local economy and assured continued support from his administration.
“Small businesses are the backbone of our local economy, and they’ll continue to get all necessary support from the ‘TogetherWeCan’ administration,” he added.
The initiative is seen as a direct response to the daily challenges faced by market men and women, many of whom operate under difficult weather conditions with little protection.
Beneficiaries expressed delight at the gesture, describing it as timely and thoughtful. One of the recipients, Mrs. Adebisi Adeyemi, a provisions seller, said the umbrellas would greatly ease their operations during extreme weather.
Since assuming office, Chairman Kamorudeen has focused on welfare programmes targeting grassroots entrepreneurs and the informal economy, which sustains a large segment of the population in Lagelu Local Government Area.
The move has been welcomed by residents, who say it reinforces the chairman’s commitment to inclusive and people-oriented governance in the council area.
