COWLSO empowers Widows, children with business support, healthcare access

The First Lady of Lagos State and Chairman, Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials (COWLSO), Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, has declared that widows must no longer be left behind in society.

She stressed that COWLSO is determined to provide them with the tools to live meaningful and financially independent lives.

Speaking at the Arise and Shine Widows and Children Empowerment Programme organised by COWLSO in Ikeja on Wednesday, Sanwo-Olu 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 (SDGs).

According to her, “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 bread-winners can better be imagined than experienced. These challenges are real.”

She explained that the programme was deliberately designed to offer widows and their children both emotional succour and economic empowerment.

“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.

Sanwo-Olu linked the intervention with her husband’s administration, noting that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has consistently prioritised women empowerment through various state agencies.

“This empowerment is in line with the programmes of the present administration of Mr Governor, Babajide Olusola 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.”

Highlighting the broader vision, the First Lady said the aim was not just to hand out temporary relief but to build lasting capacity.

“This holistic approach further exemplifies the saying that ‘Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.’ Our goal through this project is to support these widows with business support and skills empowerment, and encourage them through this forum to take charge of their finances and build a greater future for themselves, their families, and the society at large,” she added.

She stressed the importance of financial literacy in sustaining empowerment, saying that “Financial literacy is a critical tool that enables individuals to navigate the complexities of personal finance, make smart investment decisions, and avoid debt traps.”

Beyond financial inclusion, Sanwo-Olu disclosed that healthcare was also a priority for beneficiaries.

“We have partnered with the Lagos State Health Management Agency (LASHMA) 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.

Quoting American religious leader Gordon B. Hinckley, the First Lady urged the public to become voices of compassion.

“There are widows who long for friendly voices and that spirit of anxious concern which speaks of love. Be that voice,” she said.

Reassuring widows of sustained support, she stated that “As a government and COWLSO, let me emphatically assure you that we will continue to support initiatives like this to positively impact the needy in our state, even as we continue to intensify efforts to scale up the welfare of women by ensuring they thrive and become productive.”