The Lagos State Government has supported 733 widows through various empowerment initiatives aimed at improving their welfare, protecting their rights and creating opportunities for sustainable livelihoods.
The intervention was announced on Wednesday during the 2026 International Widows Day commemoration organised by the state Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation in Lagos, according to a statement posted on the state government’s official handles on Friday.
The event, themed “Justice, Dignity and Economic Power for Widows,” focused on improving widows’ access to justice, protection and economic opportunities.
Speaking at the programme, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Bolaji Dada, said government assistance to widows should address more than their immediate financial needs.
“Support for widows must go beyond sympathy. It must include access to justice, protection from discrimination and harmful practices, as well as opportunities that enable them to become economically independent,” she said.
Dada said the ministry had sustained interventions for women through skills acquisition, grants, enterprise support and livelihood programmes.
She listed the tuition-free Skills Acquisition Centres spread across the five IBILE divisions, the Micro Enterprise Support Initiative, which provides productive equipment to entrepreneurs, and the Life Skills Economic Empowerment Programme.
“These interventions are guided by a simple principle: support should create opportunity, and opportunity should lead to greater self-reliance,” Dada said.
The commissioner urged the public to look beyond the challenges faced by widows and recognise their abilities, experience and potential to contribute to their families and communities.
“A widow should not be defined by her loss.
“She should be seen as a woman with abilities, experience, aspirations and the capacity to contribute meaningfully to her family and society,” she said.
Dada also called for stronger collaboration between government agencies, civil society organisations, communities and other stakeholders to protect widows from discrimination and harmful practices.
She urged the media to focus more on the resilience, achievements and contributions of widows rather than reporting only their difficulties.
“The stories of widows should not only be told from the perspective of their challenges.
“We must also tell stories of their strength, enterprise, achievements and contributions to their families and communities,” she said.
The commissioner encouraged widows to take advantage of the state’s empowerment initiatives, stressing that their current circumstances should not limit their aspirations.
“Your circumstances may have changed, but your abilities and potential remain valuable. Do not allow your present situation to define your future,” Dada added.
Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Idayat Baiyewu appreciated the state government and the ministry for their continued attention to the welfare of widows.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Rianat Onigbanjo, said widows deserved opportunities that would protect their rights, rebuild their confidence and promote economic independence.
She described support for widows as a collective responsibility involving government, families, communities, civil society organisations and the media.
Onigbanjo also commended Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for supporting programmes targeted at women and vulnerable groups across the state.
