By Moses Adeniyi
The Lagos State Government through the Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA) has disclosed that no less than 48,000 Lagos residents have been impacted by its empowerment initiatives and poverty alleviation programmes in the last two years.
It was gathered that there are over 10,000 graduates produced by Government-owned 19 Skills Acquisition centers, spread around Lagos within the last two years period.
It was further gathered that over 1,450 women were given a sum of N20,000 each as livelihood support in the Year 2020, while another 1,500 women will be benefiting from the same gesture this year’s International Widows Day, June 2021.
Statistics obtained from WAPA revealed that a total of 3,337 adults also benefited from health intervention programmes initiated by the Ministry, while 6,780 women from 5 geographical areas of the State were trained on different vocations with participants receiving adequate start-up kits to enable them grow their businesses.
Some of the empowerment programmes carried out by the Ministry within the period under review include, training of women farmers in cassava and maize, snail rearing and grass-cutter breeding; engagement of women on good parenting about societal vices and domestic issues; as well as social grants targeted at widows and many more.
The State’s Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Mrs. Cecilia Bolaji Dada, while briefing News men on Tuesday at the State Capital, Ikeja, during the ongoing Ministerial Briefing commemorating the second year of the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu led Administration in office, mentioned that the empowerment strategies initiated by the Ministry, had directly or indirectly benefited every family in Lagos State, including men, women, adult, youths, widows and the indigent residents across all the 5 divisions of the State.
The Commissioner revealed that the Ministry will soon start exposing its trainees to the use of technology and also to enlighten women on newer practices in vocational training, considering the effects of COVID-19 and the need to adapt to the new normal within the digital space.
“In view of this, there will be training of 500 women on entrepreneurial and digital marketing techniques come June 2021, as part of plans to mark this year’s International Widows’ Day.
“In addition, WAPA is equally expanding the scope of activities with a view to creating more avenues for our women to leverage on professional platform.
“That is why 5,780 participants were incorporated into our Mega Empowerment initiative, so that through their productivity, they can also contribute to the increase in GDP of Lagos State,” the Commissioner stated.
On the training programmes by the Ministry, the Commissioner reported that there had been positive feedbacks on all the programmes offered at its Skills Acquisition Centres, be it on short-term, medium-term or long-term empowerment initiative.
She stressed that the graduate trainees from the government’s skills acquisition centres across the State are now contributing positively to the economic growth of the State, as employers of labour.
She said: “Our Mandate is to ensure that there is zero tolerance for mediocrity being caused by poverty, or induced by vulnerabilities from societal influences. This, we have achieved through the various trainings offered at the government-owned 19 skills acquisition centers in the State.
“The Ministry created platforms for International Women’s Day, with highlights on the dynamisms of women and a plan of action for ‘Women Assembly’, with over 11,400 women in attendance from the 57 Local Government/Local Council Development Areas where issues that could deter women emancipation, as well as debar efforts exerted at curbing poverty, in our State were extensively discussed.”
While enumerating on the Ministry’s participatory economic feat, the Commissioner recounted that 700 women attended the ‘WAPA CONNECT’ programme, with another 300 participants engaged in ‘Entrepreneurial and Professional Conference’ targeted at economic independence for the beneficiaries.
Recalling the involvement of WAPA in the production of Personal Protective Equipment like Face-Masks during the early period of COVID-19 outbreak, the Commissioner reported that WAPA harnessed resources to support the public with the production of 500,000 Personal Protective Equipment produced at the Skills Acquisition Centres of the State, by trainees on the Skills Acquisition Programmes.
Stating that the Ministry is truly committed to empowerment, and protection of women, through programmes targeted at economic growth, she affirmed that all its laudable training initiatives aimed at alleviating poverty and engaging indigent persons across the State, are totally tuition-free for the general public.
She said: “We have 20 various vocations, which are targeted at supporting trainees towards the path of self-reliance and financial independence. These trainees, are taught in different skills across the 3 Senatorial Districts of the State, with certificates being awarded upon completion to afford the trainees opportunity for internship in various multi-nationals and industries, within Lagos State.”
She disclosed that WAPA did not only limit the scope of its engagement to women alone but also indigents and the vulnerable members of the public, in general.
The Commissioner said: “Our children are our future, a brighter tomorrow from what we see today. As a result, we realized that good parenting remains the foundation for a progressive Society. A well-trained child, grows up to become a formidable adult.
“WAPA in this view, organized a training programme for 200 parents in August 2020, which focus was on human trafficking enlightenment and how to curb the menace. We want a productive society, directed at uplifting best practices for progress.”