Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi through the Queen Moremi Ajasoro Initiative, in collaboration with the Simba Group, have empowered over 150 women in tricycle riding in Ife, Osun State.
The beneficiaries known as Queen Riders were drawn from the four local government areas including Ife North, South, East and Central.
They were trained on how to ride tricycle popularly known as “Keke Napep” and also in Adire makings.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony of Queen Rider, a representative from Simba group, Rajesh Kumar said they planned about training 100 women but got a registration of 400 women which prompted them to train 150.
He urged the beneficiaries to ensured they obey traffic laws and maintain the tricycle so that it won’t cause them problem.
He said “We got a good response from Ife from this event. We planned to train 100 women but we got a registration of 400 women of which we picked 150 women for first batch and plan to extend this program before October .
“We have trained them on how to ride keke very well, we are suggesting that they should follow the rules and regulations of traffic and they should ensure they maintain the keke properly.”
Also speaking , Queen Aderonke Ademiluyi Ogunwusi stressed that the Queen Rider training was launched some weeks ago in Ife and that they are graduating to enable them earn a living and support their families.
She stated further that the beneficiaries will also be empowered on means of getting funds to enable them earn a sustainable living from tricycle riding.
She said, “About three weeks ago we did a launch about Queen Rider Tricycle Training Program for women in Osun State starting with the Ile-Ife and what we are doing here today is the graduation ceremony of 150 women who we have been trained in enabling them to ride tricycles.
“As you can see they all know how to ride tricycles and we are also going to empower them with the means to get the tricycles because the whole point of launching this program and graduating them is to enable them earn a sustainable living from tricycle riding.
“We have done our research and we are aware that if we are positioned very well each person after all the delivery in terms of buying petrol because we intense to get the tricycles for them on high purchase so once they made the high purchase payment we can still come between N5,000 to 7,000 daily and that is what we are doing here today enlightening people that what a man can do a woman can also do and they have proven themselves. They are all experienced rider.
“If we are to quantify it the empowerment will run into millions and millions of naira but we have offer the training for free with support of TVs simbat group in collaboration with the Ooni of Ife Queen Moremi Ajaso initiatives which is at the fore front of promoting everything that pertains to women empowerment, women leadership sustainability for women allowing women to become financially independent.
“It’s not going to be one off like I said is of the first of it kind in Osun State, Ile-Ife but we are going to expand it to the entire Osun State, South West and eventually the 774 local government across Nigeria.
“For now we are starting with 150 eventually we would want to train and empower at least one million women across the country to enable them to become sustainable, once they start the operation they can help farmers who want to bring their produces from the farm they can help in school run, they can help in so many things, market women who need to take their product to the market they can help in so many things”.
She thereafter advised the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the training and use it to support their husbands at home.
Oba Ogunwusi in his remarks called for support of other organisations and corporate bodies for more women to be empowered through the initiative.
He therefore gives cash to the first , second and third position of Queen Riders.
Oba Ogunwusi said the first to fifth position will receive cash upon completion of their money for the tricycles they purchased.
He said a cooperatives will be open for those that will be given the tricycle on high purchase where they will paying certain amount of money.
According to him , those that win cash gift will be given the money on completion of their keke payment.
“All over the world we know that women are very dependable and reliable. it been proven even with UN women it been proven by various multi lateral organisation that when you give them money through microcredit over 90 percent will be very successful so we are starting the same model in our community just to set up a cooperatives for them to be supporting one another with the initiatives of queen rider for them to use tricycles and be supporting the families and be giving daily returns back to the cooperatives.”
