Lagos disburses N1.9bn to empower women, youths in one year
By Adeola Ogunrinde
The Lagos State Government has disbursed N1.9 billion in empowerment initiatives to vulnerable women and youths between 2024 and 2025, Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA), Mrs. Bolaji Dada, disclosed on Friday.
Speaking at the 2025 ministerial press briefing in Alausa, Ikeja, Dada said 250 women-focused NGOs also received N250,000 each as grants in the past year. She noted that about N1.5 billion went into micro-enterprise support initiatives, while N400 million supported the livelihood empowerment programme.
Dada explained that beneficiaries were selected from the state’s social register and graduates of government-owned skills acquisition centres. “We evaluate and validate every applicant. In two years, 10,464 people have graduated from our centres,” she said.
As part of the NG-CARES programme, a federal initiative to cushion pandemic-related hardships, WAPA empowered 7,322 residents across 57 LGAs and LCDAs. Beneficiaries received soft skills training and one-time business grants to enhance self-reliance and entrepreneurship.
The commissioner said the interventions boosted household incomes, promoted local businesses, and empowered 3,750 women through a four-week short-term skills programme aimed at helping the indigent and vulnerable.
In addition, 2,820 families benefited from the “Ounje Lore Awo” nutrition programme across Lagos’s three senatorial districts. Dieticians educated women on healthy feeding practices, and participants received hygienic, nutritious food items.
On NGO support, Dada said the ministry oversees and coordinates women-focused organizations, ensuring they are registered, monitored, and included in the ministry’s databank.
“These NGOs are vital partners in our drive for social change. Their work in areas like widow support, domestic violence advocacy, and women’s health aligns with our mission to uplift and empower women,” she added.
