The wife of the Lagos State Governor, Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, has declared that widows must not be left behind in society.
A Thursday statement noted that Ibijoke spoke at the Arise and Shine Widows and Children Empowerment Programme, organised by the Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials in Ikeja.
She said the initiative was part of activities marking the 25th anniversary of the National Women’s Conference and aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
She said, “It is imperative to note that the myriads of difficulties in terms of psychological, emotional and financial challenges faced by widows as a result of losing their loved ones and breadwinners can better be imagined than experienced. These challenges are real.”
“Due to this reason, COWLSO included this initiative as part of our efforts to ultimately provide emotional succour, financial support, and empowerment for these women to live normal lives,” she stated.
Ibijoke noted that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu had consistently prioritised women’s empowerment through various state agencies.
“This empowerment is in line with the programmes of the present administration of Mr Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who is equally implementing various initiatives to empower women, particularly widows, through the Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, and other agencies of government.”
Beyond financial inclusion, she noted that healthcare was also a priority for beneficiaries.
“We have partnered with the Lagos State Health Management Agency through the Ilera Eko Scheme to register these beneficiaries and their children in a bid for them to have access to comprehensive and unhindered quality healthcare services,” she said.
