The Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has introduced the BTO CARES initiative in Ondo State, a community development program aimed at providing direct support to vulnerable residents, artisans, students, traders, and unemployed youths. The program, launched in Akure by Ondo Community Connect, seeks to complement infrastructure projects with interventions addressing the immediate social and economic needs of people at the grassroots.
The BTO CARES initiative focuses on five key areas: emergency support, education, artisanship and skills development, business development, and the protection of vulnerable people and youths. According to Mrs. Iretidola Akinrowo Ojekhoa, the Coordinator of BTO CARES, the initiative was established on the principle that community development must place people at the center of every intervention. Tunji-Ojo has facilitated several infrastructure projects across communities, including transformers, boreholes, solar lights, schools, and clinics.
Under the emergency support component, vulnerable residents will access assistance with hospital bills, medical referrals, food packs, and emergency shelter for disaster victims. The education component will support school fees from primary to tertiary level, WAEC, NECO, and JAMB examination fees, books, and uniforms. Beneficiaries will also be linked to scholarship and bursary opportunities. This initiative aims to bridge the gap between infrastructure development and direct assistance to residents.
For artisans and skilled workers, the initiative will provide starter kits, access to shared facilities and equipment, skills acquisition, and internship opportunities. Traders and small business owners will receive support through market and partnership linkages, including connections to intervention programs operated by SMEDAN, the Bank of Industry, and the National Directorate of Employment. Ojekhoa emphasized that the program will not distribute cash directly to beneficiaries.
The initiative will focus on widows, elderly persons, persons with disabilities, and orphans, while unemployed youths will be supported with opportunities aimed at promoting self-reliance and productive engagement. Beneficiaries will be profiled and verified before assistance is provided, with emergency cases addressed within 48 hours and standard cases processed within seven working days. Approved school fees will be paid directly to schools, medical bills to hospitals, while vendors will receive payment for approved business materials.
Chief Demola Ijabiyi, a Chairman of the occasion and APC chieftain, described BTO CARES as a practical response to the economic challenges confronting Nigerians. He urged other political leaders to emulate the initiative by developing interventions that provide tangible support to constituents, particularly those facing economic hardship. Traditional rulers at the event commended Tunji-Ojo for combining infrastructure development with direct interventions targeted at residents.
The launch attracted 14 traditional rulers from communities under the Ondo Community Connect network, community leaders, media executives, and other stakeholders. Residents seeking support under BTO CARES can register at the program's office at 104, Oyemekun Road, Akure, or access officials during weekly outreaches to hospitals, markets, schools, and communities. The event also featured the certification of graduates of the Bunmi Tunji-Ojo Skill Acquisition and Training program and an exhibition of products made at the BTOSAT Production House.
Key points
- The BTO CARES initiative focuses on five key areas: emergency support, education, artisanship and skills development, business development, and the protection of vulnerable people and youths.
