LAGOS EMPOWERS 733 WIDOWS

The Lagos State Government has supported 733 widows through various empowerment programmes aimed at improving their welfare and helping them become more financially independent.

The intervention was announced during the 2026 International Widows Day commemoration organised by the state Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation. The event focused on justice, dignity and economic opportunities for widows.

Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Bolaji Dada, said support for widows should go beyond financial assistance to include access to justice, protection from discrimination and opportunities for sustainable livelihoods.

She said the ministry had continued to provide support through skills acquisition, grants, enterprise assistance and other livelihood programmes.

Among the initiatives are tuition-free skills acquisition centres across Lagos’ five IBILE divisions, the Micro Enterprise Support Initiative, which provides equipment to entrepreneurs, and the Life Skills Economic Empowerment Programme.

Dada urged society to recognise widows for their abilities and potential rather than defining them solely by the loss of their spouses.

She said the state government would continue to promote programmes that provide women with practical skills and economic opportunities, stressing that empowerment should help beneficiaries achieve greater self-reliance.

The initiative forms part of Lagos State’s broader efforts to support vulnerable women and improve their participation in economic activities.