By Ebunoluwa Sessou

Empowering the market women on financial and digital literacy is important to rid the community and the homes off security challenges.

This was disclosed by the president of Ejigbo Grinding Machine Association, Mrs Adejoke Oyewole during a day training on digital financial services and POS distribution with the vision to eradicate poverty among community women and girls in Ejigbo.

Oyewole said, the association was birthed to assist members, community women and girls to be financiallly independent by empowering them with new skills, trading equipment and micro-credit support.

According to her, the project was funded by Global Affairs Canada and through ActionAid Nigeria and coordinated by WRAHP to empower women financially looking at the various ways to plan for our daily income, adding that there are many ways to invest their money.

“Many women bought android, iphones without making use of it to enhance their businesses financially. With the POS machine, they will be able to earn more money. Monies gathered from grinding pepper, selling maggi, oil, and others, can be used for other businesses and make profit.

“We also use the avenue to help our daughters and sons who are out of job to be empowered financially in order to curb insecurity in the community.

“When families have no stable work to sustain themselves, there would be problem in the home. But, when they have something to fall back on, the problem will be less. The home will have peace and be secured.

“With persistent training our women would have been more enlightened on financial inclusion and management. I believe that the association itself would have empowered more women to be able to support their homes.

“Looking back to five years ago, the association has moved from an ordinary association to an enlightened association in terms of finance. And I believe that there is room for improvement”, she said.

In his contribution, Taiwo Olatunbosun, Moniepoint, Business Relationship Manager, Lagos West 2, said part of the organization’s plan is to enlighten the market women on the importance of financial independence and technology and for the market women to know the importance of online platform of saving money and the power of using payment platform

“Using the POS does not require them to have an Android phone. All the applications needed is on the POS machine. We have also taught them to be security conscious not to expose their PIN code.

“Financial management and inclusion is a major challenge for market women and that is why it is imperative to enlighten the women to be financially independent.

“As a business woman it is important to have a saving plan for proper accountability and recording. Any woman who does not have a saving plan and payment platform is prone to disaster. She will not be able to measure her profit”, he stated.

One of the beneficiaries, Mrs Agboyin Adebanke, a trader, said, “I am happy about the initiative. I have longing to get POS machine for my business but today, I am glad that this initiative was brought to our association”.

Also, Oroleke Favour said, “This is a good initiative especially with the current financial challenges. People need a good source of income for sustainability. This is a rear opportunity and I believe that it would serve its purpose as many women would be financially empowered. This will reduce the poverty level in the country.

“I have been expecting POS for the past few years but thank God for not allowing my expectations to cut short”, she said.