LASG empowers 700 widows with N35m

The Lagos State Government has empowered 700 widows with N50,000 each, as part of activities marking the 2025 International Widows Day.

Delivering a keynote address at the ceremony held at the Isheri Skills Acquisition Centre, on Tuesday, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Bolaji Dada, emphasised the state’s commitment to inclusive governance, especially for widows, whom she described as “pillars of many households.”

She said, “This is not just a commemoration; it is a solemn call to action. Widowhood should not be a sentence to hardship, but a new chapter of courage, support, and renewed purpose.”

According to her, the N50,000 cash support was part of a broader package that included vocational training through the Livelihood Economic Empowerment Programme, a four-week course that ran across Lagos’s five divisions, training women in trades like fashion design, soap making, catering, hairdressing, and tie & dye.

“These programmes are intentionally structured to be time-efficient and practical, recognising that widows often carry the dual burden of being caregivers and breadwinners,” she added.

The commissioner noted that, beyond skills training, widows who completed the programme were provided start-up kits and linked to Micro-Enterprise Support Initiatives, including grants and business tools to help them start or grow businesses.

“These are not mere interventions; they are lifelines that restore self-worth, economic independence, and community prosperity,” Dada said.

She also stressed the emotional and legal challenges faced by widows, adding that WAPA continued to offer psychosocial counselling and legal advisory services through its Family Social Services and Domestic Violence Unit.

She said, “You are seen. You are valued. You are supported. On behalf of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, I salute your strength and assure you that Lagos State will continue to stand with you.”