The lawmaker representing Lagos West Senatorial District at the National Assembly, Dr Idiat Adebule, has called on all stakeholders to join hands in promoting the socio-economic well-being and uplift of women.
Senator Adebule made the call at the inaugural Lagos West Senatorial District Women’s Assembly held in Ikeja on Tuesday.
ALSO READ: Food security: Senator Adeola empowers 3,082 Ogun farmers
The former Lagos State deputy governor said building stronger communities begins with providing women and youths with functional skills and financial empowerment.
She also called for support in removing the cultural and political barriers limiting the participation of women in the building of a stronger community.
The Lagos West Senatorial District Women Assembly is convened by Adebule to bring together women of the area for personal development, economic empowerment, and nation-building.
The event, which was attended by the wife of the state governor, Dr Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, featured women-focused discussions on leadership and personal development.
The event was also attended by the wife of the deputy governor, Mrs. Remi Hamzat; former deputy governors, Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire and Mrs. Sarah Adebisi Sosan; a former member of the House of Representatives and the state All Progressives Congress (APC) Women Leader, Hon. Jumoke Okoya-Thomas; former member of the state House of Assembly, Hon. Funmi Tejuosho, among others.
One of the highlights of the event was the empowerment of 250 women by Senator Adebule with cash prizes.
A raffle where participants won prizes that ranged from generators and ovens to two minibuses to support their businesses also took place, with beneficiaries cutting across different areas of the Lagos West district.
Senator Adebule said, “Our journey towards building stronger communities begins with providing women and youths with relevant social, economic, and political education; functional soft skills; and financial empowerment, which are the ingredients needed to energise them to leadership in all sectors, including political leadership.
“Therefore, the participating women at this assembly have been carefully selected as fair representation of the good and beautiful women of Lagos West and our intention is to enlighten, inspire and motivate them with the required tools to enhance their capacity to live up to their naturally assigned roles of builders of stronger and resilient communities.”
The senator highlighted some of her interventions and contributions, saying that she had facilitated skills acquisition training and grants for thousands of women and youths at various times.
“I have also embarked on capital projects for the benefit of the Lagos West constituents. The projects are at various stages of completion,” she noted.
She listed the projects to include construction of market stalls in Agbado Oke-Odo Local Council Development Area; construction of a skills acquisition centre at Damingoro, Mushin Local Government; construction of a primary health centre in Igbolobi town in Ojo Local Government; completion of an ultramodern youth development centre with an integral 300-seater CBT centre in Badagry Local Government; and construction of a block of 36 classrooms in Awodiora Primary School in Ajeromi-Ifelodun.
The lawmaker stated that she had presented seven bills and two motions, promising to do more in the representation of her constituents.
In her remarks, the wife of the state governor, Dr Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, said the state government under her husband, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, remained committed to gender equity, economic empowerment of women, and the protection of their rights.
She said the state is proud to witness a dynamic wave of female leadership and collaboration driving transformation from the grassroots to the corridors of power.
Sanwo-Olu called for safer and supportive spaces for women in society.
She said the state government will continue to create pathways for women to thrive.
“Through programmes such as the domestic and sexual violence agency, entrepreneurship development schemes, and women-focused summits, we continue to create pathways for women to thrive.
“At the Office of the First Lady of Lagos State, empowerment remains a top priority. Later this week, we will be presenting various empowerment tools to another group of trained beneficiaries who have undergone sessions on financial literacy and business management. These initiatives are aimed at expanding economic opportunities and enabling financial independence,” she stated.
The governor’s wife commended Senator Adebule for the Lagos West Senatorial District Women’s Assembly initiative, noting that it is a testament to her enduring passion for women’s development and grassroots impact.
“The Lagos West Women’s Assembly is both timely and strategic—it provides an inclusive platform for connection, capacity building, and citizen-government synergy,” Sanwo-Olu said.
The theme of the event was ‘Building Stronger Community’, and two guest lecturers were invited to speak to the women.
In her own presentation, founder of Women In Successful Careers (WISCAR), Amina Oyagbola, encouraged women to start their leadership journey from the grassroots.
“The truth is, you cannot lead from the mountaintop if you’ve never walked through the valley. The most effective and successful leaders are those who have lived among the people, understood their struggles, and led them from the heart.
“Leadership starts at the grassroots. If we want to build stronger communities, we must empower women to lead locally and support them as they rise,” she said.
Oyagbola said the current state of women’s representation in leadership in Nigeria is a call to action.
“We celebrate our achievements, but we must demand better—not as a favour, but as a fundamental requirement for effective and inclusive governance,” she said.
On her part, the chief executive officer of City Counsellor, Mrs. Yetunde Oriolowo, said women should prioritise their well-being, especially their mental health.
She commended the Lagos West Women’s Assembly initiative, noting that it will play a key role in strengthening the mental health of women.
“As women, if we want to be useful to ourselves, our families, and our communities, we need to look after our well-being, especially our mental health.
“We play a lot of roles. We look after the children, care for the family, support our husbands, engage in home chores and even contribute to community development. It is therefore very important for us to take care of ourselves. We should create a time for rest and relaxation,” she said.
and then