Group targets 15m widows for empowerment

…seeks govt, philanthropists’ support

By Ifeoluwa Adeyeye

More than 15 million widows across the country have appealed to government at all levels, traditional rulers, philanthropists, corporate organisations and other well-meaning Nigerians to support and empower them and their children amid the prevailing economic challenges.

The appeal was made at the launch and inauguration of the Wazobia Widows Welfare Association (WWWA), Ogun State chapter, at the Sports Council, Abeokuta, under the theme: ‘Empowering widows, building hope and creating a better future.’

The state coordinator of the association, Pastor (Mrs) Adesola Oluwatoyin, said the group was targeting more than 15 million widows nationwide with programmes covering skills acquisition, vocational training, grants, small-scale businesses, education, healthcare and access to government empowerment schemes.

She said widows’ welfare should not be treated as charity alone, but as a social responsibility requiring sustained intervention from the government and private sector.

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She called for support for widows’ children on education, skills and opportunities to secure their future.

Oluwatoyin appreciated Mrs Temitope Adeola Yayi, wife of the state All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate and founder of Chadash Empowerment Foundation, for creating opportunities for members to benefit from the foundation’s empowerment initiatives in commemoration of the 2026 International Widows’ Day.

Chief Executive Officer of Pellican-Valley Nigeria Limited, Dr. Babatunde Adeyemo, pledged N250,000 to support the widows and collaboration with the association through skills development, mentorship and financial inclusion.

Earlier, the national president of the association, Mrs Binta Adejoke Aminu, said the programme highlighted the hardship faced by widows and disclosed that the group had been providing grants, skills training and equipment, including sewing machines, to help members establish sustainable businesses.

A member of the state House of Assembly, representing Ifo II constituency, Honourable Fatiu Folawewo Salami, urged stakeholders to see support for widows and their children as an investment in society.