The Black Women of Influence and Inspiration International (BWII) in collaboration with entertainment and Lifestyle magazine, Effizzie within the week bestowed Mrs. Ngozi Elizabeth Ehigiamsoe (Ehiliz) with a Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of her sterling efforts at empowering women through soft loans and credits extended to the womenfolk in their various businesses to help establish or expand such businesses towards becoming financially independent.
Presenting the award to her in the studios of Vivid View, her pet project and initiative to re-orientate the youths by re writing some of the wrongs of the older The generation in a bid to offer the youths clearer pathways in life,
Country Director of BWII and publisher of Effizzie magazine, Princess Joy Esamah disclosed that the award was in commemoration of the 15th anniversary of Effizzie magazine but ostensibly to honour her for the succour she has
brought to women and indirectly their families, over the years via LAPO micro-finance.
According to her, many testimonies abound of women who have been able to cushion the storms of the times by these soft loans, referring particularly to a woman who testified she was able to train all her children through the university because she could access the LAPO micro-finance loans to help her business establish and grow and for which she remained thankful.
Buttressing the rationale for the award, editor-in-chief of Effizzie Magazine, Manny Ita said the soft-sell medium was all about projecting society in a positive way, and sought to use the occasion of its 15th year anniversary to celebrate women who have touched lives and impacted society positively “Effizzie Magazine in collaboration with the Black Women of Influence and Inspiration decided you are worthy of being honoured, given the values you bring to the society by empowering women to be economically viable, thereby giving the home and society the much
needed stability.”
“BWII celebrates women who have been successful, not just successful women but women who have gone through thick and thin and overcame the bumps strewn on the paths of their dreams to become who they are
today, impacting society in a positive way and affecting lives.”
LAPO Micro-finance is a national financial institution with the to NGN 500,000 for small businesses and NGN5,000,000 for small and Medium scale Enterprises.
These loans are aimed at individuals who were previously considered “unbankable” by larger banking institutions, I.e borrowers who are possibly dealing in small amounts of money each day, living in hard-to-access areas, without credit histories or who don’t meet “traditional requirements” within the banking sector.
The repayment structure of such loans is flexible, with light paper work, while borrowers are provided insurance throughout the tenor of the loan The Black Women of Influence and Inspiration International is chaired by
Professor grace Alele williams over the years.
It’s the non-profit organisation has been a stentorian voice for women of all ages, with initiatives concerning the well-being of the girl-child, child/women abuse and trafficking, while celebrating women Who have conquered challenges and barriers to become successful as a way of honouring them and also to serve as encouragement to others who may be facing difficulties on the paths of their dream.
The organisation also has other programmes for girls in secondary schools and universities with an initiative that also midwife’s young female graduates to successfully navigate the labyrinths of the larger society where they step into in their entrepreneural drive.
Thanking the organisation for finding her worthy of the honour, Mrs. Ngozi Elizabeth Ehigiamsoe (Ehiliz) who is also a gospel music artist said LAPO micro-finance bank has Been helping small and medium scale businesses grow for the past 30 years with their landmarks visible to everyone.
With a strong passion to instil good values and give young people of today clear direction to flourish without being involved in untoward activities, According to Ehigiamsoe, the diversity of the country is more an
advantage but lamented that the older generation has not done enough to give good direction to the youths who as they say are the leaders of tomorrow and which gave her the conviction to help in this regard with Vivid view.
She dedicated award to her husband, Mr Godwin Ehigiamosoe